Mutharika tells Chakwera: ‘I don’t need your respect, but please respect Malawi presidency’

President Peter Mutharika has told Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera that he should respect the country’s Presidency  as a Constitutional order.

Mutharika, whose legitimacy is being challenged in court by Chakwera and UTM Party president Saulos Chilima,   accused the opposition leaders of attempting to take over the government unlawfully by supporting the demonstrations organised by Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC).

“Our Constitution and the laws regarding elections were crafted at the dawn of multiparty politics 25 years ago. At that time, we agreed as a nation that we need this set of laws because we need to be a nation of order,” said Mutharika, a former law professor who was instrumental in the drafting of the Republican Constitution.

Mutharika said the framers of the Constitution wanted  a nation of order because  “it is only when we are an orderly society that we will develop as a country.”

But Mutharika bemoaned that there are elements that are refusing to be guided by country’s laws.

“Our laws are very clear on delivery of justice. We use courts. Mob justice is not allowed in our laws.

“Our laws are also clear that while the Constitution allows demonstrations as a human right, the same Constitution on the same provision provides for a condition to the demonstrations; and clearly says, the demonstrations should be peaceful, and that the demonstrators should not be armed,” said Mutharika.

He explained that violent demonstrations are outlawed in country’s Constitution.

“We are all witnesses that the HRDC, MCP and UTM politicians have failed to conduct their demonstrations according to the law,” he pointed out.

Mutharika,  who was speaking at Maritime Forces in Monkey-Bay, Mangochi on Wednesday when he commissioned military vessels procured to beef up the country’s security  said the post-election violence  rocking the nation is being orchestrated by HRDC alongside MCP and to an extent UTM in the name of ‘‘demonstrations’’.

“On May 21, we went to the elections to choose our leaders. We went to the elections because our Constitution tells us that we can only choose a leader of this country, our Members of Parliament and our Councilors through an election.

“Our Constitution does not say we will choose our leaders through anarchy and violence,”  he said.

Mutharika fauled Chakwera for instructing  MCP Members of Parliament to disrupt his State of the Nation Address in June.

“Rev Chakwera, I don’t care whether you respect me or not. I don’t need your respect, but please respect the Presidency,” he said.

Mutharika said previous demonstrations the HRDC have conducted to force Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Jane Ansah to resign for allegedly presiding over flawed elections have been unlawful as they were marred with looting and attacks on people