Mtambo makes rigging claim, brands Mutharika ‘caretaker’ president of Malawi

The Citizens for Transformation  (CFT)  political movement leader Timothy Mtambo has alleged that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is in another scheme to  circumvent democracy and the will of the people to rig the forth coming presidential fresh election.

Mtambo, who was chairperson for the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) before joining frontline politics,  made the claims during a news conference televised on Zodiak Broadcasting Station on Tuesday that DPP is engaged in “pre-electoral rigging scheme” helped with  help to the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) led by embattled chairwoman Jane Ansah.

In his statement, Mtambo in his militant tonne and posture said his movement does not recognise Ansah, who is a judge of the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal,  MEC Commissioners and their activities.

“They are incompetent , careless and irresponsible,” said Mtambo, adding “we cannot entrust our elections in their hands. We don’t recognise this MEC. We cannot even recognise the product out of this MEC.”

Mtambo warned: “This country is sitting on a time bomb, you cannot impose the leadership rejected on the people.”

He has called on all Malawians to reject results of a fresh presidential election presided over by the current cohort of MEC led by Ansah.

Mtambo alleged that government is using the current Coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis  to frustrate the fresh presidential election and of miss allocating funds when health workers are lacking Personal Protective Equipment.

He said there should be no extension of electoral process beyond Constitution Court order of July 3 deadline, urging President Peter Mutharika to ensure a continued electoral process.

But DPP spokesperson Nicholas Dausi dismissed the rigging the rigging  allegations, saying they are baseless and lack evidence.

Dausi said: “He is making political tantrums. It is just the paranoia of defeat and the offer of MCP to give him State vice-president will remain a pipedream .”

Mtambo stressed  that they were vigilant and would not allow anyone to rig the vote.

He said  any plot that threatens to distort the free will of the people will be crashed with civil disobedience.

In his remarks at the news conference, Mtambo said he wanted to raise  “an alarm on unduly elected president Mutharika” and  “rescue Malawi from executive arrogance and impunity.”

He said the “gospel” of CFT to Malawians is “never vote DPP and its alliance partner UDF again. They have messed up our country.”

Mtambo said his movement has “unconditionally and equivocally endorsed  UTM and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) electoral alliance.”

He made slurs against the Head of State , calling Mutharika “an accidental caretaker president.”

The CFT leader said Mutharika is an interim president, because the Constitutional Court ruling gave his presidency 150 days on February 3.

Said Mtambo: “He is just taking care of this period [up to July 3]. He has not been given the mandate by the people of this country.”

He continued: “We are reminding President Mutharika that he was not duly elected.”

Mtambo has since asked Speaker of National Assembly  “in consultation with caretaker president” to call for parliament to re-table electoral bills which the Head of State withheld his assent.

Mutharika won the last year’s election with only 38.5% of the vote, just ahead of Chakwera’s 35.4% but the constitutional court ruled on 3 February that his victory was unconstitutional because the constitution demanded that the president be elected by a majority, defined as 50% of the electorate plus one vote.

The court also ruled that Electoral Commission was incompetent in its handling of the elections and ordered parliament to chart a course forward for it. The legislators said that the entire commission should be fired.

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