Malawi's political scenario is hanging on a balance! Thursday's protest against the recent election result alleges that it was manipulated by the central government led by Peter Mutharika who has been the President of Malawi since May 31, 2014.
But the Southern African country's opposition leaders (who participated in the presidential race) are not happy with the election result and came together on road on June 20 to lead anti-government protests.
Organized by the civil action groups in Malawi, the marches commenced peacefully in four major cities. Thousands of Malawians have protested against results of May 21 Presidential elections that declared Peter Mutharika as the winner. The President of Malawi Congress Party, Lazarus Chakwera and country's former VP, Saulos Chilima have filed the petition to challenge the outcome of the May 21 elections in which Mutharika was announced the winner.
The protestors have also demanded the resignation of Malawi Electoral Commission chairwoman Jane Ansah. A Human Rights Defenders Coalition statement alleged that the commission did not properly deal with over 140 election-related complaints, and it accused Ansah of a "scandalous approach and stubborn attitude" in managing voters' concerns.
However, the Constitutional court has adjourned the election case until Friday, June 21. The five-panel court will make a ruling on the arguments.
#Malawi Protest video #MalawiDecides2019 #MalawiElections2019 pic.twitter.com/ERi2nAKQ6m
— DD Correspondent (@CorrespondentDd) June 20, 2019
The organization behind the ongoing post-election protests in Malawi, Human Rights Defenders Coalition, has recently announced that its members’ next move is to take the demonstrations to the country’s airports and borders.
Malawi’s civil society organizations, electoral stakeholders and electorate are pushing for the Justice Jane Ansah’s resignation on the allegations that she failed to handle the presidential election on May 21.
The announcement of demonstrations at the airports and highways in Malawi has been made by Timothy Mtambo, the Chairman of Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) on August 7 at the completion of their vigil that followed demonstrations in Lilongwe a day earlier compelling Jane Ansah to resign. However, the government of Malawi is yet to comment on the demonstrations and damages in the capital city as the outcome of the protests. Read more...
The offices of Malawi Congress Party in the commercial capital Blantyre had reportedly been bombed on Sunday evening. It is being claimed by the party leader that its headquarters were burnt in an arson attack, as reported by The Citizen.
The ongoing protest in Malawi is taking a new shape in the form of violence as the oppositions are set to prove that the election’s result of President Peter Mutharika was manipulated.
On the other hand, a Mzuzu-based analyst says Malawi Electoral Commission’s chairperson Jane Ansah must listen to the calls of Malawians who filed the streets on Friday demanding her resignation.
Malawi’s civil society organizations, electoral stakeholders and electorate are pushing for the Chairperson of Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), Justice Jane Ansah’s resignation on the allegations that she failed to handle the presidential election on May 21.
According to them, Jane Ansah’s alleged ignorance and irregularities went in favour of President Peter Mutharika, under whose government the election was manipulated.
On the other hand, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is claiming that the results of elections were authentic and Peter Mutharika defeated contestant Lazarus Chakwera, the President of Malawi Congress Party with around 200 thousand votes.
The Constitutional Court in Malawi's Lilongwe has ruled that the trial hearing for the case of election will start on Monday, July 29, 2019. The Court will deliver its ruling any day between July 29 and August 21 as the law says that the Court needs to deliver a verdict within 24 days, Malawi 24 reported.
On the other hand, the opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has requested the Court for a fresh Presidential election. The party has altered its previous stand on recounting the Presidential poll. But Malawi's President, Peter Mutharika and his party are opposing the move of amending the application.
The Malawi Electoral Commission has recently filed an appeal asking the Supreme Court to reverse the ruling of Constitutional Court in the Malawi election case citing that the five-judge panel erred in law.
On Friday, the five-judge panel at the Constitutional Court threw out the application of President of Malawi, Peter Mutharika to dismiss petitions by Lazarus Chakwera, the President of Malawi Congress Party and Saulos Chilima, Malawi’s former Vice President and founder of United Transformation Movement who are challenging the May 21 presidential election results, as reported by Malawi24.
The notice of appeal filed on June 24 by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) cites that it is not satisfied with the court’s decision, thus wants the Supreme Court to reverse the lower court’s ruling and dismiss the Malawi election case. The MEC lawyers argue that the judges erred in law by ruling that the regularity of filing a sworn statement verifying a petition out of time and that of replacing court documents without permission of the courts and thus falsifying the court record is curable.
The Constitutional Court through its ruling ratified the fraudulent filing of Lazarus Chakwera’s election petition, according to the MEC lawyers, and erred by ruling that Saulos Chilima’s petition is not a claim, therefore did not need a sworn statement. The MEC lawyers want the Supreme Court of Appeal to reverse the lower court’s decision.
President of Malawi, Peter Mutharika has fired Griffin Spoon Phiri, commander of the Malawi Defence Force.
President Peter Mutharika has replaced Spoon Phiri with Lieutenant Vincent Nundwe. The Head of State said that the appointments are with immediate effects. This comes amid reports that soldiers were disobeying Phiri’s commands, , Malawi 24 reported.
On Friday, the President of Malawi, Peter Mutharika has commented in his State of the Nation Address (Sona) that his opponents are recruiting al-Shabaab to create anarchy in the country.
Peter Mutharika has claimed that he has all the evidences that the opposition, which are raising severe voice against May’s presidential election result, are discussing Islamist militant group al-Shabaab to destabilize Malawi and the intention is to overthrow the government by force, as reported by Nyasa Times.
However, after listening such comments, the Member of Parliaments walked out of the House saying that they cannot listen to an ‘illegitimate’ leader.
Malawi’s former Vice President Saulos Chilima has recently said that protects conducted on Thursday (June 20) are “warm-ups”. He further said that “there will be more if Malawi Electoral Commission chairwoman Jane Ansah refuses to step down.
The protesters clashed with police in Malawi’s four cities during countrywide demonstrations over the disputed result of May’s presidential election. Some police officers are injured after being beaten up by the protestors throwing rocks. Local reports claim that some shops have also been ransacked.
The marchers were stopped by police in Blantyre using tear gas as they were approaching the commission’s headquarter. Saulos Chilima and the President of Malawi Congress Party, Lazarus Chakwera also joined protestors in Lilongwe demonstrating against the result of the last presidential election in Malawi that announced Peter Mutharika as the winner.
“This is about Malawi, I am a Malawian, Lazarus Chakwera here is a Malawian, we have joined fellow Malawians that are not happy with how the recent elections were conducted, we demand Justice, Chilima said.
“Malawians are very angry with the manner in which the management of the election results were conducted and we want everyone involved in the injustice to resign and get out,” Chakwera added.
#Malawi Protest video #MalawiDecides2019 #MalawiElections2019#MalawiSONA2019 #MalawiDemos pic.twitter.com/moUbYdNrWx
— DD Correspondent (@CorrespondentDd) June 21, 2019