Mutharika U-turn on gay sex vote: State House ‘clarifies’ referendum remarks
President Peter Mutharika has backed out on homosexuality referendum, saying he is not going to call for a national vote to harsh anti-gay laws but that he only expressed “an opinion” in his capacity as President of Malawi regarding the issues.
Responding to a question on same-sex marriages during a Talk to the President programme on taxpayer-funded Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC TV), Mutharika said Malawians hold the cards.
“On the issue of gay marriages, again I have said in our DPP manifesto that we will leave that to the people…”
Presidential spokesman Gerald Viola has since clarified that Mutharika will not call for a homosexuality referendum.
The State House spokesman said the President does not make laws and as such, Mutharika could not by-pass Parliament and the Cabinet by suggesting for a referendum.
“The President was leaving it to Malawians to decide if they would want legalization of the two issues (homosexuality and abortion) by means of referendum if need be and not meaning proposal from his government to come up with referendum on the two matters,” explained the presidential spokesman.
The ‘clarification’ comes after Mutharika’s insinuation of a referendum received a backlash.
Associate professor of law at the University of Malawi’s Chancellor College, Mwiza Nkhata, described calls for a national referendum on same-sex liasons as “absurd”.
Rights campaigners also said it was surprising for the President to be making such statements when he undertook to defend human rights and dignity for all.
Malawi’s strict anti-homosexuality laws imposes prison terms of up to 14 years for engaging in homosexual behaviour.
In addition, there are three other laws for related offenses, including an attempt at gay sex, gross indecency, and sex between two women — each with punishments ranging between five to seven years imprisonment, with or without corporal punishment.
UNAIDS argued that the Malawi’s anti-gay laws “infringe upon human rights, undermine the effectiveness of HIV programs” by stopping locals from accessing preventative measures and causing epidemic proportion of infection rates.
But faith leaders, however, dismiss the arguments, saying the HIV infection rates cannot be used as a justification to legalize same-sex acts.
The country’s spiritual leaders have dubbed being gay as a “bondage” that is against God, and alien to the country’s culture, belief’s and traditions.
The Centre for Development of People (Cedep), which works with homosexuals, said Malawi same-sex liaisons is a social-revolutions that is also taking root in the southern African nation.
“We cannot run away from the fact that we have homosexuals in our midst,” said Cedep Executive Director Gift Trapence.
Malawi attracted international pressure when a gay couple was sentenced to 14 years jail in 2010 for ‘unnatural acts and gross indecency’ before being pardoned.
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Guys, jesus was more gay than a heterosexual! The evidence is your bibles, you fail to see it coz for your biased faith.
TT mulungu akuthandize kuzindikila mwa njila yowawa kuti zomwe wayankhulazo sungamuyankhulile mulungu.
TT whether it is atheism, satanism, madness, ignorance, spiritual maladjustment, ushasha, udolo or whatever degree of insanity that is in you, you need total deliverance. May God forgive you.
Homosexuality is indeed against our culture.And so is keeping conjoined twins alive,keeping children with albinism alive,girls eating liver or eggs,women having the same rights as men and many more new stuff intruding into our way of living.But why are we so selective?Culture is not static,it is constantly changing like it or not and we must just learn to live with our gay neighbours.It is only idiots who hide behind culture
Thumbs up to you ” kunena mosapsyatira ” Well narrated story of indeed the New World Order which is yet to come thru these weak president. Malawi Google the NWO and c what it says
what is wrong with referendum. what the outcry for? because you know you cannot win so you think you can just hookwink them. i was wrong sometimes about APM he is decisive outright, he was right it is the people to decide and how will the Malaiwan people decide it is by vote of course so what is wrong. I do not understand these so called rights bodies. in the mother of all democracies, USA the states voted including the most liberal of all California and California rejected same sex marriages surprisingly. APM let us vote straight in 2019 so… Read more »
I thout the refredrum would have been on MSB sale….Satanic eti!!!!
I don’t know what else are some people waiting for to realize that Peter Mutharika is a dimwit hence not material for presidency. Very indecisive!
Punishment for being gay=14 years imprisonment with hard labour. Punishment for stealing billions of Kwachas tax payers’ money=11 years. And you wonder why this country us where it is? Say no more.
Most homophobic people are usually religious especially Christians! I think it’s because Christians want to hide the fact that their prince of peace, aka jesus, was a closeted homosexual himself. I mean with all due respect an unmarried 30 something year old jewish rabbi, who preferred the company of 12 men who spend his last night as a free man chatting to a naked youth seems pretty gay to me!