Mutharika to contest court ruling

Malawi’s President, Peter Mutharika, has confirmed he will appeal the Constitutional Court’s landmark ruling which annulled last May’s presidential election.

Mr Mutharika won the election with 38.6% of the vote over his nearest rivals, Lazarus Chakwera and Saulos Chilima, who took 35.4% and 20.2% respectively. 

Messrs Chakwera and Chilima said Tipp Ex, a correction fluid, had been used to alter ballot papers sent in by some of the polling stations after they had been signed off by party agents.

On Monday the court agreed, annulling the election and ordering a new one within 150 days.

But presidential spokesperson Mgeme Kalirani said in a statement the ruling “cannot be allowed to stand… it will create a lot of problems in the country’s jurisprudence.

“It is a great miscarriage of justice”.

Lawyers for the complainants also argued that in some cases incorrect results were sent to the main tallying centre, whilst there were also examples of minor mathematical errors.

Despite these being relatively small mistakes, the court agreed they were symptomatic of a flawed electoral process that required reform.

The Constitutional Court’s ruling was met with jubilation in the streets, concluding months of violent anti-government protests that have seen two people killed.

Photo: Amos/Gumulira/AFP