Malawi cannot be ruled by court, says Chimulirenji: Ntaba hits at Judicial ambush on 50%+1 

Minister Everton Chimulirenji,  who was the de-facto Vice President of Malawi from May 2019 to February 2020,  took a swipe at the judiciary claiming that they have hijacked democracy.

The Constitutional Court stunned Malawians on February 3 2020 when it annulled the May 2019 vote that returned President Peter Mutharika to power as president with Chimulirenji as his deputy. The court cited “widespread, systematic and grave” irregularities, which included results sheets with sections blotted out or altered with correction fluid.

It ordered that Malawi should hold a presidential vote within 150 days, a judgement which was this month upheld by Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal.

Chimulirenji in his address at a televised rally at Masintha Ground in Lilongwe which was addressed by Mutharika’s  running mate in the 23 June fresh election, Atupele Muluzi, said  opposition are rushing to court to hijack democracy by remote controlling the affairs of the  State with gag orders.

“The  country cannot be ruled by courts. They interpret the law.

“Nowhere in the world is one branch of government allowed to override other branches, here in Malawi that is the case,” he said.

Chimulirenji said that Malawi has defacto become a State in which the judiciary is usurping authority of other branches.

He also laughed at the reasoning of the judiciary which penalised  Mutharika, DPP and him for a crime they did not commit- when both the Constitutional Court and Supreme Ciurt in their judgement said there was no rigging of the elections.

“Even in traditional courts, such a miscarriage of justice is not permissible. You can’t go to a village court and be exonerated of your charge yet get ordered to pay a fine,” said Chimulirenji.

Chimulirenji also made an attack targeted the country’s stranged vice-president Saulos Chilima, saying he will do all the political  stunts but in vain.

“Chaka chatha ankapanga zodumphadumpha pa nsanja, chaka chino ndiye akuheda matumba. Komabe sawina [in last elections you pulls stunts of push ups and now you are carrying bags of fertiliser but that won;t yield anything ,” said  Chimulirenji.

Speaking earlier,  presidential aide and one fo the founders of DPP, the famed ‘Talking computer’  Dr  Hetherwick Ntaba  particularly faulted the Constitutional Court that nullified last year’s poll on its interpretation of Section 80 (1) of the Constitution, saying the framers of the republican constitution did not mean 50%+1 when they said a President should be elected by the majority.

“I was part of the framers (of the Constitution) and we did not provide for 50%+1. On 25 February 1995, I was part of the Committee that was set up to clarify what the section means and at a conference, it was made clear that ‘majority’ in the section meant ‘first-past-the-post,” Ntaba said.

He also said  the courts did not find any evidence of rigging yet they went ahead to nullify the election, it does not make sense.”