Mutharika casts vote, remains upbeat to win: Condemns ‘intimidation and violence’

Malawi leader President Peter Mutharika on Tuesday cast his vote in an historic vote that calibrates him as a law abiding citizen but has condemned electoral violence  against his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) monitors and supporters in the central region.

Mutharika at his home village in Thyolo to vote
Mutharika making his tick on the ballot
Mutharika votes.
Mutharika was accompanied by First Lady to cast his ballot

Malawians are voting in a Fresh Presidential Election as ordered by the court after it nullified the May 2019 election in Mutharika was declared winner.

Mutharika has been aggrieved by the decision, insisting that he coasted to a clean victory in the last election.

He has argued that the order by the court for a fresh election is a subversion of the will of the people.

But Mutharika, an internationally renown Constitutional lawyer, has all along complied with the court’s final decisions on the case.

As the nation run up to this election, there were fears that he would scupper the process by not appointing new commissioners to replace those at Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC)  whose contracts had expired.

Mutharika responded timely to the exit of the previous commissioners by appointing new ones early in June to manage the fresh election.

On Tuesday, the Malawi leader cast his vote in his home district of Thyolo.

After casting his vote, Mutharika said he has received reports that the violence in the central region is being organised  by opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP).

“ I strongly condemn the violence and the MCP for choosing this path,” said Mutharika.

“They are doing this because they are afraid of the will of the people. They asked  for elections and they should not frustrate the same. They should let people vote freely and count votes freely,” Mutharika, who was accompanied by First Lady, said.

The court nullified the May 2019 election following a petition by opposition leaders Lazarus Chakwera and Saulos Chilima who claimed that the vote was rigged.

All international observers including African Union, European Union, SADC and the US Government had certified the election as free, fair, well-managed and credible.

In 8 months of a marathon court hearing, the opposition did not provide any evidence to the court as proof of their rigging claim.

Nevertheless, the court proceeded to nullify the election arguing that it was marred by irregularities.

However, the court did not show how the said irregularities affected the final figures of the vote,  decision that has raised a range of arguments.

In the run up to the election, Mutharika has maintained he won cleanly.

“We won the election. The final result was the will of the people. But the opposition went to court and robbed us of our victory. On Tuesday, let us show them that we won last year,” said the Malawi leader at his last campaign rally in Rumphi Distirct last week.

Polling stations opened at 6am on Tuesday and closed at 6pm. Counting of the votes will start after closing the polling.

While the voting seems to be taking place peacefully in the Southern and Northern regions of the country, incidences of organized violence in the Central Region – the stronghold of the MCP led by Reverend Chakwera – has been a cause of concern.

A leaked official list circulating on social media shows the party recruited over 100 youths who since Monday have been beating up DPP monitors and officials, Malawi Electoral Commission staff and other electoral stakeholders in Central region.

Cases have also been reported of these MCP operatives threatening and manipulating voters against voting for President Mutharika.

Analysts have described this violence as a sign of MCP admitting that they do not have numbers to win the election.

Tellingly, this violence comes on the background of more violence by opposition in Malawi.

While the election case was in court, MCP, UTM and Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) waged a sustained campaign of violence unprecedented in the history of elections in Malawi over what they called electoral injustices.

The fresh election is expected to bring stabilization to the country that has long known to be one of the most peaceful in the world.

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Goliati
Goliati
3 years ago

Kodi gogo Nalikukuti, makani ndi bodza suzasiya. Just eccept kuti anthu ambiri sakukufuna but only your stupid tribe which has brought a lot of suffering to many Malawians

Goliati
Goliati
3 years ago

Kodi gogo belonging Malawi ndi bodza susiya. Just accept anthu ambiri sakukufuna except your stupid tribe

Jerusalem Bible College
Jerusalem Bible College
3 years ago

No matter what and how you write it, people have decided today. Just wait for the results. Muona Nyekhwe.

Silica gell
3 years ago

This report is true but painful to opposition

Mtondoli Jonazi
Mtondoli Jonazi
3 years ago

Me thinks my 18 year old daughter in her first year of law school has a better grasp of the law that this so called “internationally renown [sic] constitutional lawyer”. He should have led by example by simply accepting the judgement instead of castigating the entire law profession.

Didn’t I read somewhere that he was actually involved in the drafting of the constitution of our country? Or I am confused?

Ndaziona
Ndaziona
3 years ago

There was no rigging claim by the petitioners. It was about systematic and massive irregularities.

Daniso
Daniso
3 years ago

Dear Mr President. Your plan to rig elections in Nkhotakota in agreement with Grezelder Jeffrey has been upended. We have seen how retired soldiers totalling 16 were sent by DPP to be monitors and yet they did not have credentials from MEC. After being interrogated they confessed that your party sent them after paying them MK100,000 each. They are in custody now and this is shameful. You know what? You campaigned only 2 days out of 60 campaign days that were given. Were you sure that people will just go and vote for an absent president? You are taking Malawians… Read more »

The Deffender
The Deffender
3 years ago

Its not MCP, its the people who want their vote to be protected wawa, this time you are not going to the Palace. You sent your ex military thinking Malawians will just sit phwiii! wagwanayo. New Malawi is coming. We will protect our vote until the last minute.

Nyirenda Tobious
Nyirenda Tobious
3 years ago

Bye bye dadie, we loved you only for the first 5years… We don’t love or want you no more, thanks for the first term on power and we have seen deaths of people during your time. Stay safe and say his to all people at home(Thyolo)

ARENZY
ARENZY
3 years ago

AS WE ARE TALIKING TODAY WE HAVE NO PRESIDENT , SO DONT BE FOULED, MUTHARIKA IS NOT A PRISEDENT AT THIS HOUR,

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