PAC says poll law suits in line with peace agreement

Public Affairs Committee (PAC), a quasi-religious body formed in 1992 during the country’s political transition from one-party to multiparty democracy, has backed Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and UTM Party decision to challenge the  May 21 Tripartite Elections results in court, saying this was in line with  peace agreement the two parties signed.

PAC chairperson Very Reverend Felix Chingota said the peace agreement, whch MCP president Lazarus Chakwera and UTM president Saulos Chilima signed discourages acts of violence in the event that the parties lost the May 21 elections.

Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) President Peter Mutharika refused to sign the peace agreement.

“We encourage the aggrieved parties to go to court and avoid protests because Malawi is a God fearing and peace loving country,” said Chingota.

MCP spokesperson Maurice Munthali said the party propels peace agenda but could not stay quiet when the DPP manipulated the poll result in favour of Mutharika.

“We are on the streets protesting to highlight the gross irregularities in the poll results. Dr. Chakwera has been robbed off of his victory,” said Munthali.

UTM spokesperson Joseph Chidanti Malunga said there is no clause in the peace agreement that says parties should not complain in an event of vote rigging or result manipulation.

PAC accused Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) of messing up the results management system, , stating that the results “lack credibility”.

“The admission by MEC chairperson Justice Jane Ansah that the commission accepted results with alterations and erasions speak volumes of how much the process was flawed.

“We know that more than the 147 complaints mentioned were lodged, but were not fully resolved. For this reason, many people feel that justice has been ignored and that institutions involved in the electoral process have failed to give the truth and justice a chance,” said Chingota.

MEC declared Mutharika winner of the presidential race with 1 940 709 votes or 38.57 percent. The electoral body said Chakwera finished second with 1 781 740 votes, representing 35.41 percent of the vote while Chilima, who debuted on the presidential ballot on a UTM Party ticket after falling out with Mutharika last June, was third with 1 018 369 votes or 20.24 percent.

The opposition contends that Mutharika “won a fraudulent election” fraught with irregularities, including alleged stuffing of ballot papers with pre-marked ballots and tempering with election results sheets through tippexing.

MEC chairwoman Jane  Ansah, who is a judge of the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal,  described the electoral process as “free and fair” and that the results were a “true reflection of the will of the people of Malawi”

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