‘Malawi is burning’: Mutharika ‘Tipp-Ex president’ jibe hits UK’s Financial Times
United Kingdom (UK) reputable newspaper, The Financial Times, has carried a story about Malawi political crisis where demonstrations continue since May 21 Tripartite Elections and the High Court sitting as Constitution Court is now being asked to scrub out the presidential outcome and order a rerun.
The Financial Times with a headline – Malawi’s ‘Tipp-Ex president’ Mutharika faces high court challenge– the paper says Mutharika’sre-election earned him the nickname “Tipp-Ex president”.
It says the “jibe” is a reference to the correction fluid that the opposition claims was used to alter of results with a vote that gave the 79-year-old former law professor a second term.
Malawi, one of world’s poorest countries, held elections on May 21 and Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) declared Mutharika winner of the presidential race. But in the Constitutional Court, UTM president Saulos Chilima (first petitioner) and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera (second petitioner) want results of the election nullified. They are alleging that the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) mismanaged the polls, in which President Peter Mutharika was declared winner, alleging ballot-stuffing and the use of Tipp-Ex correction fluid to change votes.
Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has accused opposition leaders of making “wild claims” about a contest that it said was deemed fair by international observers.
The Financial Times report highlights that Malawi has gained a reputation for regular multi-party elections and smooth transitions of power since 1994 when former president Bakili Muluzi ousted Kamuzu Banda who had an iron grip of the country in one party dictatorship.
There have been allegations of fraud before, but nothing on the scale of this year, reads a report in the Financial Times.
The paper focus on post-elections wave of public protests triggred by evidence of widespread irregularities in the May presidential vote.
The Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has swince urged politicians to show respect and restraint to one another to facilitate a smooth trial of the presidential election case
MHRC commissioner Martha Chizuma, who is also the country’s Ombudsman, in a statement seen by Nyasa Times said when hearing of the case starts, the commission expects that “every person shall respect the rights of others who may wish to witness the court proceedings in support of the party of their choice.”.
But currently, as former president Joyce Banda said in quotes reported by the UK paper, “Malawi is burning” and “what is happening is unprecedented.”
Boniface Dulani, professor at the Institute of Public Opinion and Research at the University of Malawi, said an election annulment would build on the Kenyan precedent.
“It would send a strong signal to the continent’s rulers that manipulating elections does not mean automatic passage to state house,” he said as quoted by Financial Times.
The UK newspaper also quotes Blessings Chimsinga, associate professor at the University of Malawi, saying the case was “make or break” for a public that had lost faith in the electoral process.
Any rerun, he said, would need comprehensive electoral reforms to be credible. Otherwise, he added, “it would be like putting new wine in old bottles”.
Meanwhile, demand form MEC chairperson Jane Ansah, a judge at Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal to resign, still stands with threats of more protests.
Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has vowed to orgnaise more nationwide protests until Ansah resigns.
Defending herself in local media against accusations that election tally sheets were doctored, she said: “Correctional fluid, if you check in the dictionary, corrects errors. Tipp-Ex can be used for positive and negative purposes and that is for the court to find out.”
The crisis, according to the Financial Times has sparked volatility in the kwacha, the local currency, and led to the stagnation of an already fragile economy. Malawi has a nominal income per capita of $380, making it one of the world’s poorest countries.
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Jane ansah is out of her head….ofcourse collection fluid is for collecting errors, but not in a legal paper like what you did with your people. Where did you studied your law??? Any legal paper you don’t use collection fluid in anyway form, whether malovu ndi labala or tippex as all classed to be void.
Ansah was someone wrote and did your bar exams???
Malawi is not the poorest country but the greedy leadership.corruption too much instead developing the country. whoever advised him that Malawian are fools anakunamizani akulu .
this is it the country is burning !!!!!!!!
We can do better.
Mchewa Fake Accent Ex-reverend kufuna kupanda boma kudzera ku mabungwe After flopping at the ballot box. Never again!
yes ma kadeti whether they walked in the uni corridors, its all one just like pitala himself.
ena osapota oposition nao angoti duuuuu because the secret they hold will and may harm the dpp.
ee nde democracy ili patipo!! musatiopseze popeza mumadyela tebulo limozi ndi pitala coz whether we eat or drink no matter where ,what,with whom? the system of disposal of all the delicasse is same. So!!! easy, we are not different from one another although pamaganidwe, many in the ruling are just the bribed,corrupters etc
Malawi is not poor.Change of mind set from Leadership, the citizen.
If only we knew how to treat Malawi as our own property. By now indeed Malawi will be like Singapore.
nkhope yodabwa nhati akuti ko muti nciani cotele. suunati udabwa pumbwa opanda mano iwe
Defending herself in local media against accusations that election tally sheets were doctored, she said: “Correctional fluid, if you check in the dictionary, corrects errors. Tipp-Ex can be used for positive and negative purposes and that is for the court to find out.” Is the use of tipex the only evidence that the opposition have for vote rigging? What if tipex was used positively? What I see here is that someone is hungry for power because his party’s constitution bars him from representing for 3rd time. That is all. Hunger for power is as strong as death. That is what… Read more »
Correction fluid should never be used on legal documents. Errors should be crossed through and signed, so that what was written originally is still visible. The corrected version can be written alongside. This helps to to identify genuine mistakes and prevent deliberate falsification.
Ladies and gentlemen, some of us are to die for apm. What you must know is that people who support dpp are more passionate about the party than those following chakwera and chilima. Even for those of us who went through university corridors know that zitsiru zimatsatidwa ndi anthu ambiri. So tiyeninazoni we are going to retaliate. Infact we are being restrained by apm himself. Otherwise we ready to face these insults head on do or die if I may be allowed to use boris johnson phrase. Hrdc please stop this stupidity or you will be ashamed in few days… Read more »
U r not being restrained by Apm but you are coward full stop. Go to Mzuzu and start it there you will be burned alive.
Nyapako ndi ma corridor akowo
Sukuludi sisintha munthu. It is the so called educated like you who have destroyed this country. olo manyazi mulibe. Sober up you educated fool.
Dying for a 80 old man who has lived his life and has enjoyed abusing you taxes thus the most stupid thing one could ever do to himself! Look at those people who are suspected to have helped rigged and are dying mysterious what have they gained dealth from K50? Stupid black people! Wake and live for you families. APM kids are in USA enjoying while you dying with poverty here chanting adadi with calling for mini-bus as day job cadets..sad!
Blessings Chinsinga is not an Associate Professor. He’s a full Professor.
International ti-ppex president ever.
All criminals know the presumption of innocence. All criminals. ‘Tippex can be used for positive and negative purposes and that is for the court to find out ‘ . This reminds me of a petty thief who was caught not long ago. He screamed ‘nditengereni ku polisi nditengereni ku polisi ‘. The mob, of course, did the right thing. I am certain that the mob will prevail in the tippex case.