Put Malawi first, accept poll case ruling — UN

UN Resident Coordinator Maria Jose Torres has stressed the need to accept the  verdict of the five-judge panel of the Constitutional Court  in a case where two petitioners want presidential poll results in the May 21 Tripartite Elections nullified over alleged irregularities.

Jose Torres said as the country awaits the Court decision on the elections case, Malawians should learn to respect the rule of law and stressed on the need to have peaceful settlement of disputes.

She was speaking during the national peace prayers organised by  the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) in Lilongwe on Sartuday.

“People have  to respect the Judiciary, to show tolerance whether political or religious for views different from their own, to show compassion for fellow citizens – and to put Malawi first,” the UN diplomat said.

She said Malawi is living in a critical time in its history, as a young nation and even a younger democracy the present times have opened important questions on how to achieve an inclusive society governed by peace and justice.

Jose Torres quoted the 1994 Constitution of Malawi (as amended in 2017) that states advocates clearly in 13(l)  for “Peaceful Settlement of Dispute”,adding that Malawians are called upon “To strive to adopt mechanisms by which differences are settled through negotiation, good offices, mediation, conciliation and arbitration”.

She said the future  calls upon the leaders to be united in prayer and to remain united to honour the principles of peaceful coexistence embraced in the Malawi Constitution.

The prayers were part of an ongoing peace-building initiative.

Speeches and sermons in a packed Bingu Convention Centre centred around appealing to the citizenry to uphold the rule of law and promote peace and co-existence as the country awaits the court ruling.

The five-judge panel  comprising Healey Potani, Dingiswayo Madise, Ivy Kamanga, Redson Kapindu and Mike Tembo is expected to deliver its ruling early 2020.

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