Malawi army will ensure peace whatever outcome of polls case – Gen Nundwe

The Malawi Defence Force (MDF) chief has assured that the military will do more to ensure peace for the Malawian people,  after the Constitutional Court delivers its ruling in the high-profile disputed presidential election case.

The he Constitutional Court is expected to deliver a ruling on the case  which the opposition claims were rigged.

General Vincent Nundwe speaking at the MDF end of year ball at Kamuzu Barracks in Lilongwe on Monday evening said there is no  way soldiers will “just sit in barracks and watch the country burning”.

Said Nundwe: “As the military, we are always prepared for the worst scenarios. I can assure you that there is going to be peace in spite of whatever the outcome [of the case] is going to be. We are going to ensure that the situation remains calm.”

A lecturer at Mzuzu University, Euginio Njoloma, said it is good that MDF is committing itself to ensure calm because more tension is expected after the court delivers its judgement.

Over the past four months, voters in Malawi have eagerly followed live broadcasts of witnesses presenting evidence to a panel of five judges of alleged rigging in an election narrowly won by President Peter Mutharika.

For the first time in the country’s history, the court proceedings were aired on private radio stations and translated in the national dialect Chichewa.

Protesters have been demanding the resignation of the electoral body chief Jane Ansah and many of the post-election demonstrations turned violent.

If judges uphold the fraud allegations, fresh polls could be called within a matter of days, according to legal experts.