Mutharika confident to rule Malawi up to 2024

President Peter Mutharika insisted he would win the 2019’s elections and rule Malawi for another five-year term despite his advanced years.

Malawi will hold another periodic elections in 2019 at the end of Mutharika’s first term.

But the 76-year-old has expressed interest to seek another term and  predicted a “landslide” in favour of the  ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Speaking in an exclusive interview with state broadcaster MBC television, President Mutharika said he was grateful that most of his priorities namely foreign direct Investment, skills development, civil service reform, greenbelt revolution, cement and malata subsidy are on course.

“These priorities will grow and transform Malawi .We have delivered what we promised and we are still delivering.  Therefore, I don’t see anything stopping us from winning with a landslide in 2019,” he said.

Opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) said they are working on strategies to avoid the “vote rigging” saying Mutharika “won’t be able to cheat,” in the 2019 polls.

MCP has always claimed Mutharika and his DPP were elected on “fabricated results”.

Party spokeswoman Jessie Kabwila said MCP legitimately won the elections but DPP stole their victory.

Recently CSO released a 2014 Tripartite Election report entitled: “Election Situation Room: Analysis of the 2014 Tripartite Elections in Malawi” which describes the election as “Neither Fair nor Credible” and among other things calling for reforms in the country’s electoral processes and systems including enhancing the independence and technical capacity of the Malawi Election Commission (MEC) –

MCP publicist insisted: “It will still be on record that May 20 2014 elections were fraudulent.”

Dowa East Member of Parliament (MP) Richard Banda has said there is need for Parliament to pass laws aimed at bringing sanity in the way elections are conducted in the country.

Malawi uses the first-past-the-post system where the candidate with the largest share of votes is declared winner of the presidential race.

The outcome of the May 20, 2014 presidential results was mired in controversy amid allegations of rigging and confusion over how the MEC should have proceeded in the wake of conflicting court rulings on vote counting.

The results of the vote were announced on 30 May, minutes after the High Court refused a last-ditch attempt to block their release and allow time for a recount.