Mutharika goes to town on Chakwera: Malawi President says opposition leader could be mentally ill, should be examined

President Peter Mutharika on Saturday went to town to hit back at leader of the opposition and Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Lazarous Chakwera who had  made a scatching attack on him un parliament, suggesting Chakwera could be crazy and mentally ill who need psychiatric expert examination .

Mutharika made the remarks during an address to ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters in Kasungu on his way back from the Northern Region to his base  in the capital Lilongwe.

He however did not mention Chakwera by name, but insinuated  by reffering the leader of opposition as “that man.”

“I want to write the Speaker that perhaps ‘that man’ should be sent to Kamuzu Central Hospital [so] that he head should be tested to understand why he is speaking that way,” said Mutharika.

“It is embarasising that a man who wants to become President of this country should speak so childishly and like a mentally challenged person,” he added.

The address was covered live on taxpayer-funded Malawi Broadcasting Corporation.

However, a leading daily newspaper, The Nation has said in an editorial comment on Mondya that remarks made by Mutharika in Kasungu are “unpresidential” and that they do not insire confidence in the office of the President.

The paper advised Mutharika to “rise above pettiness” and focus on addressing real issues affecting the nation.

“Two wrongs do not make a right. Verbal echanges have never developed any country or brought food on people’s tables,” the  editorilo comment pointed out.

Speaker of National Assembly Richard Msowoya on Friday ruled that Chakwera disrespected President Mutharika with the use of words “incompetent President” and as “a Prince of Thieves” presiding over the most corrupt administration in recent history, in his response to Mutharika’s address made at the opening of the 47th session of Parliament last week.

Msowoya has since ordered the House to strike off the unparliamentary words from the Hansard saying they are an improper personal reflection on the President.

Government chief whip Henry Mussa took up the matter with the Speaker arguing that it was out of order for Chakwera to use such words when reflecting on a Head of State.

The government benches were also not happy with statements like “the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government is the most corrupt and untruthful in recent memory. Chakwera also said “it is not the only fraudulent deal happening under Mutharika watch.”

The MCP president also took a swipe at the DPP-led administration as allegedly having a “stench of corruption” as well as remarks that “if the President is not a thief”.