Malawi President Mutharika pledges to root out corruption
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi’s President Peter Mutharika began his second five-year term with a tough stance against corruption and pledged to revive the economy, following accusations of corruption and mismanagement.
Speaking at his inauguration on Friday in Blantyre, Malawi’s second largest city, Mutharika warned that he would not spare anyone found abusing their positions, in an apparent response to allegations of corruption that marked his first term.
“The honeymoon is over. If you belong to the DPP (Democratic Progressive Party), you have no right to think that you are above the law”, he said at Kamuzu stadium. “We will count it as indiscipline and we will fire you”, he added. “We want a corrupt-free Malawi”
The opposition parties have said Mutharika has nurtured graft, but he denies that. He has said local media reports he benefited from a $4 million contract to supply food to the police force were a ploy to smear him before the elections.
Mutharika won the election with a 38.57% share of the vote, with opposition party leader Lazarus Chakwera scoring 35.41% and Deputy President Saulos Chilima claiming 20.24% in the final tally.
Chakwera has rejected results of the May 21 election announced by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).
Making his own parallel address in Lilongwe, the administrative capital, Chakwera said he is in the process of filing fresh petitions to the High Court asking it to nullify the results.