Lilongwe: Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, who was the first respondent in the May 2019 elections case has instructed his legal team to challenge Constitutional Court’s ruling which annuled the elections.
He said this on Wednesday in a statement made at Kamuzu Palace, which was aired on state broadcastor, MBCTv and MBC Radio One in relation to the ruling.
“We consider the judgement is a subversion of justice, an attack on our democratic system and an attempt to undermine the will of the people,” Mutharika said.
He added: “As it stands, the judgement if not cured, represents a flawed precedence for all the elections in the future elections.”
The president further claims that the judgement inagurates the “death of Malawi’s democray” and that it needs to be challenged.
However, Mutharika said that he will not appeal against holding fresh elections and that camp are already preparing to campign amd win the elections. The appeal being made is to correct the “fundamental errors” in the judgement to protect the laws of the land, principles of justice and democracy.
He urged Malawians to continue to maintain peace and desist from any of violence following the ruling made earlier this week.
The ruling, made on February 3, 2020 highlighted serious irregularities and breach of electoral procedures by Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) during last year’s elections and therfore declared the elections null and void and that the said winner did not legitimately win the elections.
The court has instructed MEC to prepare for fresh elections in 150 days from the proclamation of the ruling.
Dr. Saulos Chilima has since been reinstated as vice president.
nkhanizangwazi 