Mutharika calls for opposition to accept defeat and move on: Malawi leader urged to have ‘inclusive leadership’
President Peter Mutharika on Tuesday urged opposition parties to accept the outcome of an election and that there can only be one leader at a time, saying it is time to move on than spend time in courts challenging his re-election.
Opposition led by the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has sought for judicial review in court over allegations of electoral fraud.
But as he was sworn in for a second term, Mutharika said at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre it’s time to move on as he was declared victor on Monday after an injunction barring the release of the results was lifted.
“I want to congratulate other leaders who competed with me in these elections. But they have to accept that there can only be one winner,” Mutharika declared in a short speech.
“The elections are over. This is a time to unite and develop this country.”
Mutharika won the ballot with 38.57% of the vote, against former evangelist Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) on 35.41% – a gap of just 159 000 votes.
Turnout was 74% of 6.8 million registered voters.
Mutharika dismissed doubts over the outcome, saying international observers had deemed the May 21 election “peaceful, free and fair.”
“It is the victory of the rule of law and the rule of democracy. Democracy has won,” he said.
Meanwhile, Malawi’s leading daily newspaper, privately owned The Nation newspaper in an editorial comment on Wednesday, urged Mutharika to work on uniting Malawians.
The paper said what Malawi wants is an “inclusive government” to respond to the wishes of the people.
“Mutharika must immediteley find a political way to reaching out to all the three regions and build bridges,” reads the comment in part.
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We will not accept. Forget about it.
Defeat should not be by Tippex. It should be by voters. Why accept tippex job?
It is an insult of the highest order for APM to say the other parties should accept defeat when he knows that the results were not a true reflection of what happened on the ground. It is also heart breaking for Malawi electoral commission to keep up insisting that it did not favour any political party saying results of the polls were decided by voters because as voters we were neither involved in counting nor tippexing of the election results. Was it not MEC that sincerely gave an official report that results from all over Malawi, Chitipa to Nsanje and… Read more »
Is it up to the president to give judgement or to the courts? He was just another participant so he doesn’t have the power to tell other competitors just to accept defeat. If they’re not happy or satisfied then that’s why the courts are are there.
It’s you (Mutharika) who should have accepted defeat!!!!! Upita patsogolo ndi abale ako akubawo, Make Malawi Singapore tikuonere!!!! You were born a thief, you will die a thief
He can not call upon Opposition to accept defeat as he worn through the ballot no he has be declared by MEC by the virtue of money which meant to manipulate votes using tipex and sworp and reduce votes for Chakwera. God will act safulumira komanso sachedwa.
He can not and I repeat he can not he is a southerner but God will destroy Satan has no chance in heaven where decision and boundary of every one is established. Mark my words.
Mulunguyo ndiwako wekha, vomerezani mwaluza Basi, anywhere you go loosers are problem, go back do your homework and come back with good strategy next 5 years.
Anthu opusa, akuba, opanda manyazi, inu a DPP!! kodi or mukanakhala inu mukanalola? Mulungu alipo ndipo akuona……
Mwana wanjoka iwe usati nyasepo apa sitidya ndale ife
why accepting defeat zobelazo do yu think sitikuziwa kuti munapereka ndalama yu better stop talking yu nonsense mutharika tiwona ngati muyendese dzikoli
Sorry accept the defeat please alamula whether you want or not you are at body of truck, you can’t drive by force.