By Nenenji Mlangeni
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The opposition UTM and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) on Thursday clearly told Public Affairs Committee (PAC) that will not continue with mediation talks to meet President Peter Muthalika until the Constitutional Court makes its ruling in the high-profile presidential election case.
This comes following the talks PAC had with MCP Leader Lazarus Chakwera and UTM President Saulos Chilima on Wednesday and Thursday respectively.
Soon after the meeting Spokesperson for UTM Dr. Joseph Chidanti Malunga said the party will not continue with PAC mediation until the Constitutional Court makes its ruling in the high-profile presidential election case.
Dr. Chidanti Malunga also said UTM wants Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Chairperson Dr Jane Ansah and the entire Commission to resign.
One of PAC’s mediators, Clifford Matonga, says the religious body will continue engaging UTM for smooth continuation of talks.
On the other hand, MCP Secretary General Eisenhower Mkaka writes;
“People may recall that PAC has been meeting different stakeholders in a bid to bring about peace. When PAC last met Chakwera (before meeting him yesterday), next to be met was Mr Peter Mutharika. Scheduled meetings failed to take place. They met APM this week.
“Immediately PAC wanted to give feedback to Chakwera on how their meeting with APM went. The meeting yesterday was to do just that!”.
Mkaka adds, “There was no attempt to secure any meeting between Chakwera and APM. That would go against conventional wisdom: why would Chakwera allow the court processes to go all the way to the end and in between be saying he doesn’t recognize APM as president, only to allow meeting APM after the court processes have almost come to an end?
“Chakwera’s position has been and will still be that he doesn’t recognize APM as president and he is occupying that seat illegitimately! There is no meeting between Chakwera and Mutharika!”
Currently, the seating constitutional court in the capital Lilongwe is hearing the presidential election case heard by the panel of five judges comprising Ivy Kamanga, Dingiswayo Madise, Mike Tembo, Redson Kapindu and Healey Potani as chairperson
UTM Party president Saulos Chilima the first petitioner and Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) the second petitioner are challenging the MEC results.
MEC has conceded that most of the irregularities took place, but said that did not affect the final result of the elections.
The court will reconvene on 19 and 20 December, 2019 to hear oral and legal arguments and submissions from all parties.
All the four parties to the case have been given three hours each to make their presentations and also one hour each to make their responses.
The nation is waiting with anxiously court’s verdict on the matter.
