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FULL STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT PROF. ARTHUR PETER MUTHARIKA ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT JUDGEMENT
Fellow Malawians
You all recall that on 21 May 2019 we went to an Election at which I was declared the winner.
At that time, all local and international observers agreed that we had a peaceful, free, fair and credible election.
In exercising their political rights however, Reverend Lazarus Chakwera and Dr Saulos Chilima petitioned the Constitutional Court with their grievances.
We allowed for justice to take its course because we respect the rule of law and especially because I want to continue seeing peace, love and unity prevailing among us. I am a peaceful President.
On Monday, the Constitutional Court made its ruling on the Election petition which the Opposition brought before it.
I thank you all fellow Malawians for your patience during the period the case has been in Court.
I want to applaud the leaders of the Opposition for taking their electoral grievances to Court as provided for in our laws. That is democracy. However, I condemn violence in the strongest possible
terms and appeal to all Malawians to reject violence. Let us keep calm and order at all times.
This judgement is not the end of litigation process in the May 21 elections case. Malawi is a country of laws. As a lawful nation, there remains a number of laws and legal processes and procedures provided in our Constitution to regulate how we conduct ourselves to resolve our situation.
The most important thing is that we must preserve our constitutional order and ensure that Malawi continues to be stable and peaceful.
As the first respondent in the May 21 Elections case, I have taken note of the judgement delivered by the High Court sitting as a Constitutional Court. Like many Malawians, my legal team and I have serious reservations with the judgment. We consider the judgement as a serious subversion of justice, an attack on our democratic systems and an attempt to undermine the will of the people.
As it stands, the judgment if not cured, represents a flawed precedence for all the elections in all future elections in the country. In fact, this judgment inaugurates the death of Malawi's democracy.
As such it cannot stand unchallenged.
Consequently, I have instructed my legal team to appeal against the judgment and challenge it.
Let me however state that we are not appealing to stop the next election. In fact, we are ready to campaign and win as we have always done. We are appealing to correct the fundamental errors in the judgement to protect our laws, principles of justice and democracy. We believe the judgement has
errors that need to be corrected. Above all, we seek justice.
Let us not be carried away by this court ruling because it is not the end of everything. We are one people. We have one Malawi. We remain one nation. And Malawi is bigger than us all.
Within our Constitutional order, let us move forward in Peace, Love and Unity.
God bless Malawi.
Fellow Malawians
You all recall that on 21 May 2019 we went to an Election at which I was declared the winner.
At that time, all local and international observers agreed that we had a peaceful, free, fair and credible election.
In exercising their political rights however, Reverend Lazarus Chakwera and Dr Saulos Chilima petitioned the Constitutional Court with their grievances.
We allowed for justice to take its course because we respect the rule of law and especially because I want to continue seeing peace, love and unity prevailing among us. I am a peaceful President.
On Monday, the Constitutional Court made its ruling on the Election petition which the Opposition brought before it.
I thank you all fellow Malawians for your patience during the period the case has been in Court.
I want to applaud the leaders of the Opposition for taking their electoral grievances to Court as provided for in our laws. That is democracy. However, I condemn violence in the strongest possible
terms and appeal to all Malawians to reject violence. Let us keep calm and order at all times.
This judgement is not the end of litigation process in the May 21 elections case. Malawi is a country of laws. As a lawful nation, there remains a number of laws and legal processes and procedures provided in our Constitution to regulate how we conduct ourselves to resolve our situation.
The most important thing is that we must preserve our constitutional order and ensure that Malawi continues to be stable and peaceful.
As the first respondent in the May 21 Elections case, I have taken note of the judgement delivered by the High Court sitting as a Constitutional Court. Like many Malawians, my legal team and I have serious reservations with the judgment. We consider the judgement as a serious subversion of justice, an attack on our democratic systems and an attempt to undermine the will of the people.
As it stands, the judgment if not cured, represents a flawed precedence for all the elections in all future elections in the country. In fact, this judgment inaugurates the death of Malawi's democracy.
As such it cannot stand unchallenged.
Consequently, I have instructed my legal team to appeal against the judgment and challenge it.
Let me however state that we are not appealing to stop the next election. In fact, we are ready to campaign and win as we have always done. We are appealing to correct the fundamental errors in the judgement to protect our laws, principles of justice and democracy. We believe the judgement has
errors that need to be corrected. Above all, we seek justice.
Let us not be carried away by this court ruling because it is not the end of everything. We are one people. We have one Malawi. We remain one nation. And Malawi is bigger than us all.
Within our Constitutional order, let us move forward in Peace, Love and Unity.
God bless Malawi.
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