Chakwera for nullification of presidential results

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has disclosed that he has filed a petition to the High Court to nullify the results of the May 21 tripartite election which saw President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika being declared winner by Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).

Chakwera said this during a media briefing held at MCP headquarters in the capital Lilongwe on Friday morning.

“I, Lazarus Chakwera, reject MEC’s fraudulent presidential results, and I join all Malawians in rejecting that MEC’s declaration of Mutharika as the winner represents the will of Malawians who cast their votes.

“For this reason, pursuant to Section 114 (1) and (3d) of the Parliamentary and Presidential Elections Act, and having gathered overwhelming evidence of gross violations of the Act, I have started filing a petition to the High Court of Malawi to nullify MEC’s presidential results and declare the presidential elections of May 21, 2019 void,” said Chakwera.

He said he initially thought of asking court for an injunction to restrain swearing in and inauguration of Mutharika as president but reversed the decision to allow government continue running.

“Initially, I had also considered applying to the court to stop the swearing in ceremony and inauguration. However, I decided that this would not be in the best interest of the country because the protracted absence of a President and Cabinet would disturb the state’s service provision and cause millions of innocent Malawians to suffer,” he said.

He added: “This election has laid bare the corruption that has contaminated all our governance institutions. The corruption done in this election is an indictment on all of us, whether we are citizens who have allowed it to be done in our name or foreigners who have watched it happen in our face. We have all colluded to create a society in which thieving is a rewarding trade, and so all of us must stand up together to fix it NOW.

“This is no longer a struggle for MCP to form a government or for me to be President. It is clear from the rigging of this election that this is a struggle for Malawi to be free. This is a struggle for all of us.

“So, I look forward to seeing you all at the High Court when the hearing starts, so that Mutharika may see that he is operating illegally and on borrowed time. The people who stole this election for him were expecting that once he gets sworn in andinaugurated, their crimes will be buried, the money they have been paid will be hidden, and we will all give up on reclaiming our stolen rights and votes while we suffer in silence for another five years.”

Meanwhile Chakwera has urged anyone with evidence on alleged rigging to come forward and join him as friends of court as he files a case.