Lazarus Chakwera condemns Maurice Munthali
By Rebecca Chimjeka:
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera Friday complied with the High Court ruling by publicly condemning the statement that was made by the party’s Publicity Secretary Reverend Maurice Munthali.
In a statement released Friday, Chakwera has disassociated himself from part of Munthali’s statement which he described as offensive.
Chakwera’s response comes after the court Thursday accused Munthali of encouraging presiding officers not to furnish Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) with relevant information.
The court, therefore, asked Chakwera to publicly condemn Munthali’s statement.
According to Chakwera, while Munthali’s statement may not have been wholly wrong in expressing wonderment and suspicion at the conduct on which Mec officials or agents had embarked, and therefore not condemnable omnibus, there were nonetheless parts of it which were capable of an offending meaning.
“For this reason, as a man in pursuit of justice by peaceful and lawful means, and without disowning the Honourable Reverend Maurice Munthali as Publicity Secretary of the Party, I publicly condemn and disassociate myself from the following parts of the statement which have been found to be offensive,” Chakwera said.
Munthali in a statement dated July 13 alleged that some district commissioners had joined Mec to coerce presiding officers and other stakeholders to sign what he claimed were clandestine result sheets in exchange for money.
Munthali warned Mec and DCs to stop the suspicious moves.
The constitutional court Thursday granted Mec an extension of five days to collect information from others who presided over the May 21 Tripartite Elections.
Reading the judgement, Justice Dingiswayo Madise said Mec informed the court that some people assaulted its officers when they went to collect information from Kasungu.
MCP and UTM petitioned the court seeking nullification of elections results citing irregularities which Mec overlooked.
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