NICE urges parties to avoid claiming victory until ruling of Malawi polls case
National Initiative for Civic Education (Nice) Trust has urged political party leaders to use the remaining days to February 3 2020 the day of delivery of on the presidential election nullification petition case prudently by issuing statements to Malawians that carry messages of peace other than claiming victory.
Nice Trust has also appealed to Malawians not to resort to violence after the court verdict, saying violence is a vice and not a solution.
Gray Kalindekafe, Nice Trust national programme manager, said: “We are about to hear the court verdict and we are appealing to all the party leaders to use the remaining time judiciously by being vocal with messages of peace, love and tolerance that can bring unity among Malawians and not messages that can bring chaos.”
Kalindekafe said the pending judgement has stirred panic among Malawians with some sharing tips on social media platforms that people should stock up supplies of food, fuel as well as prepaid mobile phone credit, electricity and water.
He said politicians should among others refrain from telling their supporters that they have already won while the court is yet to make its determination.
“We are urging all political leaders to ensure that as of now they should not tell their supporters they have won until judgement will be done. Because, if they tell their supporters that they have won and the judgement comes out the other way round, that will incite a lot of anger,” he said.
Kalindekafe urged parties involved in the presidential case to accept the judgement that would be rendered by the constitutional court.
He said that those who would win should celebrate peacefully and those who would lose should not react in anger and thereby violating the rights of those who would win.
In the case, two of the presidential candidates in the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections—UTM Party’s Saulos Chilima (the first petitioner) and Malawi Congress Party candidate Lazarus Chakwera (the second petitioner)—want the court to nullify presidential election results.
The five-judge panel comprising Healey Potani, Ivy Kamanga, Dingiswayo Madise, Redson Kapindu and Mike Tembo have indicated that they would deliver their judgement on Monday February 3 2020.
The petitioners wants fresh elections over alleged irregularities, especially in the results management system. Incumbent President Peter Mutharika of Democratic Progressive Party, who was declared winner of the elections, is the first respondent with Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) as the second respondent.
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