UTM councillor addresses DPP rally, says Mutharika won elections ‘time to move on’

UTM  Party Councillor for Tukombo Ward, who is also Chairperson for Nkhata Bay District Council, Ackleyn Tcheya, has declared that time for politicking and elections is over and urged people to accept the outcome of a presidential election clouded by fraud allegations in May.

Tcheya spoke over the weekend at Tukombo during a rally addressed by Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Symon Vuwa Kaunda and several other ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) gurus.

“Let us accept that those who won in the elections won. The losers must just accept defeat,” said Tcheya, attracting a thunderous applause from the crowd.

He also urged his fellow UTM party faithfuls to accept the 21 May presidential election results and accept that Mutharika is the President of Malawi.

Apparently, Tcheya’s party alongside main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) went to court to challenge Mutharika’s victory.

The two parties are currently participating in protests organized by Human Rights Defenders Coalition aimed at forcing the Chairperson of the Malawi Electoral Commission Jane Ansah to resign over allegations that she mismanaged the presidential election.

Mutharika dismissed doubts over the outcome, saying international observers had deemed the May 21 election “peaceful, free and fair.”

“I, therefore, ask you people of Nkhata Bay to maintain your stand of not participating in these demonstrations,” said Tcheya.

Taking his turn to speak at the rally, Traditional Authority Zilakoma agreed with Tcheya, adding that the people of Nkhata Bay already lost many lives during the 1959 uprising against the colonial masters in the fight for independence of this country.

He said: “We cannot die twice. Please, never participate in these protests”.

Mutharika won the ballot with 38.57% of the vote, against former evangelist Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) on 35.41% – a gap of just 159 000 votes. UTM president Saulos Chilima came a distant third.

In his remarks, Kaunda said he is on a mission to prepare the people of the Northern Region to welcome President Mutharika as he will be visiting the region immediately he returns from the United Nations General Assembly.

“Let us welcome Mutharika in large numbers to show our president that we love him and that he is most welcome in the Northern Region,” implored Kawunda.

He added that the people of Nkhata Bay must thank Mutharika for what he has done in the district, citing the new Nkhata Bay District Hospital, new market, bus depot and the Mzuzu-Nkhata Bay road.

Other DPP bigwigs that attended the rally include the party’s Regional Governor for North Kenneth Sanga and National Director of Political Affairs, Khwauli Msiska.