Critics slate Mutharika’s SONA: ‘Malawi leader in denial’

Leader of opposition, civils society organisations (CSOs) and commentators have poked holes all over President Peter Mutharika’s State of the Nation address (Sona), in which he said those who are propagating that there can be a vacancy in the office of the president are committing treason.

Leader of opposition Lowe: President has put his knee on the neck of democracy
Trapence: President Mutharika is in denial
Members of Parliament in Chamber during President Peter Mutharika vitual address at the opening budget session of Parliament on Friday. -Photo by Govati Nyirenda

Mutharika in a speech via video link shown over giant screens in Parliament urged the House to correct the mistake of the both the Constitutional Court and the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal who ordered the fresh presidential election.

“Nullifying elections is nullifying the will of the people,” said Mutharika.

But leader of the opposition Lobin Lowe said he will give the formal response to the Sona in the House, his immediate assessment was that the President is “trying to put his knee on the neck of democracy and suffocate it.”

The local Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) chairperson Gift Trapence has scatching in is reaction, saying the President’s address is a mark of a leader living in denial and, silently, orchestrating a Constitutional Crisis to keep himself in power.

Reacting to the Presidents’ SONA, especially on the issue of the judges’ elections nullification, HRDC chairperson Gift Trapence said the President is the one who would want to abuse the rule of law by not complying with the court order for fresh elections.

“It is not anybody in Malawi who will commit treason but him for defying court judgment. Malawians will not allow that impunity. We will guard our constitution to the fullest because no one is above the law,” Trapence said.

Trapence further said Malawians don’t want to reach a level of a Constitution crisis because someone wants to remain in power without the mandate of the people.

“After 2nd July, if elections are not conducted this country will not have a President—that’s a fact. We don’t need to reach to that level,” he said.

He underlined that the President’s conduct by not allowing fresh elections will be criminal.

London-based Malawian economist Watipaso Mkandawire commented that Mutharika wants to retain power “by any means necessary.”

He noted: “Some of the means included causing confusion in the process.”

Lawyer Bright Theu fiercely criticised Mutharika regarding the controversial statement he said that Parliament is supreme above the courts, calling it “consummate nonsense.”

Said Theu: “The idea is to pitty parliament against the courts for a power struggle of sorts.

“No Sir, again no matter how much you crave it to be the case, Parliament is not supreme above the courts. Just like your office [President] is not supreme above the courts and the National Assembly.”

Theu, who represented Vice-President Saulos Chilima in the elections case, said three branches of government – The Executive, Legislature and Judiciary – are at best co-equal branches of the State.

“Whether you like it or not, this is the arrangement we as a nation agreed on when you were away [in exile.].”

Theu acknowledged presented “some paper” during the constitutional process, but pointed out that he never drafted anything.

“If you don’t like the workings if constitutionalism, rule of law, separation of powers, and check and balances that begot the judgement nullifying that embarrassment of an election doesn’t waste our time, just get the hell out of there,” Theu blasted.

Another government critic Idriss Ali Nassah said Mutharika’s address demonstrated that the President is “in denial” of the nullification of his re-election and that “he is delusional”.

Nassah said President Mutharika is turning to be a “huge national security risk.”

He said “Mutharika must go!”

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GOLOGOLO
GOLOGOLO
3 years ago

the fact that parliament obeyed court orders and him to presented his nomination papers it simplys means the courts are not the weakest……andin this case THEY ARE THE STRONGEST….. no wonder even iyeyo cant say nfweeee

Tasiyana Mark
Tasiyana Mark
3 years ago

If I go through all the comments here ihav realized with deep shock that the owners doesn’t have voting ticket for them to vote for a leader of their choices but they are here lubwalubwa.Sona or no sona Dpp and Udf is going to carry the day or Sona mukuti ndiyopoura koma ili khenge vuto sona ya Adad imadana ndimakape.i rest my case AMEN

Jenala Eid
Jenala Eid
3 years ago

Lets all be humble,respectful satisfied with what P. Mutharika our beloved president is doing in Malawi. Leave Mutharika alone. The country Malawi will never be without the president even a single day. This means Mutharika shall remain in power. The courts of Malawi on the other hand seem to be in nepotism more especialy to opposition. The judges must know that they are being watched. We cant accept the courts and judges that are corrupt. Otsutsa, makhothi,timawailesi tinati iti komanso akuti HRDC mudzachita manyazi pamene UDF DPP alliance idzakhale ikusangalala kuwina kwawo posachedwapa. Khalani phee. Ife tidzakhala tikululutira thungululu kawakawakawa… Read more »

Good critic Mtamba
Good critic Mtamba
3 years ago

When i check some comments mmmmm i decide to put mine but when i sir and think with fair to consider that muthalika is a learned president and is above 80 he have to accept and step down I think he is living in his own world by now

Bina
Bina
3 years ago

Mutharika is right. Judges do not rule a country.

ERUTU
ERUTU
3 years ago
Reply to  Bina

No he is confused and confusing people in 🇲🇼

TATE 1
TATE 1
3 years ago
Reply to  Bina

you are just another cadets,,, arms of govt…equal powers…if the courts are a weaker arm of govt why can’t he (Mutharika) as the president overrule the judgement.. wake up.. dzuka malawi kwacha..

Wawa
Wawa
3 years ago
Reply to  TATE 1

Wishful thinking. Arms of Govt will never be equal. The Judiciary just pumps itself too much. They think they r all that and up there.
Nop! Its actually # 3 on the line. President comes first, then Parliament.

KINANASI 1
3 years ago
Reply to  Wawa

My dear be informed that the president or the presidency has never been,is not and will never be an arm of government in malawi.The presidency is just part of a particular arm.So if you say the president comes first,you are completely out of order kkk

KINANASI 1
3 years ago
Reply to  Bina

Ask Chimulirenji kuti ali kuti pano.Ma khothi amalanga kkkkk

Ndata Boy
3 years ago

Muthalika in denial and delusional – exactly what he is right now

Mangochi Kabwafu
Mangochi Kabwafu
3 years ago

Old embicile, come out and deliver your so called SONA in front of MPs instead of recording your nonsense while hiding in the corner. Your fellow gogo, Goodall Gondwe is being pulled by mwana wa mbava to do campaigns in the north.

mchisala
mchisala
3 years ago

What is treasonous is clueless Mutharika’s leadership: incompetent, corrupt and lacking respect for the rule of law!!! That, Malawians will not take too kindly to and will fight to rid out whether you throw ‘treason charges’ at them or not (but courts have to agree with you or, like your late brother tried to do, you will create ‘special traditional courts’ to try these ‘treason cases’)!!!

Lego
3 years ago

We don’t want to have a dictator in our country again.It was a hard fought to attain this democracy while APM was abroad.Stop your nonsense and go to hell we don’t want you any more.You are an enemy of Justice.

Chriss
Chriss
3 years ago

The waste SONA of the world is the one by Peter Munthalika played on 5th June, 2020.

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