Mutharika subtly concedes defeat in Malawi presidential election: ‘Impunity has fallen’

Outgoing president Peter Mutharika has subtly conceded defeat in the presidential election after being outclassed by Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leader Rev. Dr Lazarus Chakwera, who headed Tonse Alliance—comprising nine different political parties.

Mutharika, who assumed leadership in 2014 and was seeking re-election said he expected  an election without irregularities, especially that the Court nullified the 2019 election  on the basis of irregularities.

“Sadly, as all Malawians have seen, this election is the worst in Malawi’s history of our Elections,” he said.

“Our monitors were beaten, hacked, abducted and intimidated so that they should not participate in voting observation process. Many of the tally sheets do not have signatures as monitors were in hospitals and could not be present to endorse results,” said Mutharika at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre.

Mutharika, who was flanked by his running mate, said in most instances, most of the results that were sent to MEC are “not a true reflection of the people.”

He said: Unfortunately, there were no DPP and UDF monitors to report irregularities. Strangely, the Malawi Electoral Commission has dismissed our complaints because our monitors were not there to report irregularities.”

Mutharika in his subtle acceptance of defeat, urges  the nation to go into soul-searching and self-reflection and that Malawians should  move on peacefully.

“Much as I find this election unacceptable, but for the sake of peace, and for the love of our country, which is larger than us all, I wish to ask all Malawians to be peaceful when the results are announced. It is only my sincere hope that we will unite to take this country forward instead of taking it backward,” he said.

Mutharika was seeking a  second term of office but tumbled in the court-sanctioned fresh elections after Chakwera  paired with UTM Party president Saulos Chilima.

Chilima was the country’s estranged State Vice-President after he dumped Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and will remain as the country’s second command.

While Mutharika was conceding, his party’s administrative secretary Francis Mphepo was pushing for a third presidential election, citing irregularities and intimidation in a vote re-run.

Voters in the southern African country went to the polls on 23 June for the second time in 13 months after the Constitutional Court scrapped a presidential election over alleged fraud.

DPP called Friday on the electoral commission to annul results collated so far and declare a third poll as it questioned the credibility of the vote re-run.

Commentator and newspaper columnist in Malawi News, Geroge Kasakula  pointed out on Saturday that while the erstwhile governing party tried using all means in the world to defend its tribalistic and regionalistic schemes, it was so apparent that it was its desire to see Malawians being segregated according to where we come from.

“The polarisation that DPP created is among those issues that resulted into the party performing badly in the Central and Northern regions. Malawians in these regions just felt they had nothing to do with a governing party that clearly showed where its interests were and who it was worried about,” he wrote.

Kasakula said the DPP has lost the election because the party had no chance to rig again, saying the system was so tight that every scheme that those wicked men and women who have arrogated the will of Malawians before was sufficiently parried away.

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