Chakwera profoundly applauds MEC chairperson Justice Mtalimanja for ably steering  September 16 election’s long and complex process

* However, asks MEC to fully address irregularities that MCP submitted with flying colours to ensure that Malawi electoral process and democracy is stronger moving forward

* As he congratulates Mutharika on his historic victory and wishes him well in his upcoming tenure as the 7th President of the Republic of Malawi

By Duncan Mlanjira

Outgoing President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has conceded defeat from the September 16 presidential election and has since congratulated President-elect Arthur Peter Mutharika on his historic victory and wishes him well in his upcoming tenure as the 7th President of the Republic of Malawi.

At the same time he has profoundly applauded Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Justice Annabel Mtalimanja and her whole team “for the meticulous and outstanding job [they have executed] to ensure that the entire electoral process is peaceful and transparent”.

“Worthy of special mention and praise in this regard is the MEC chair, Justice Annabel Mtalimanja, whose cool head and steady hands have ably steered this long and complex process in a manner that is commendable and admirable.

“But I know that to run an election as well as she has requires an ecosystem of supportive Commissioners, electoral staff, and stakeholders. So as President, I want to thank all of you for the role you have played to make these general elections a success and to make Malawi’s democracy a shining example for the whole world.”

He went on to explain that in running an election, MEC has two responsibilities — the first being to determine and announce a result which is a credible reflection of the will of the majority of Malawians — a task he believe MEC “has executed with flying colours”.

“But the second responsibility, which is yet to be done, is to identify any electoral irregularities that have happened in the electoral process and ensure that they are addressed fully and transparently and those responsible for those violations of the law are held to account.

“So far, various political parties, including my own, have brought to the attention of MEC a number of such irregularities, but crucially, the Commission itself announced that it also identified anomalies in the results of a number of districts, resulting in a decision to quarantine those results until further notice.

“The anomalies do not necessarily mean that the election result projecting Prof. Mutharika as the winner is not credible or a reflection of the will of the people. Even in sports, the occurrence of foul play does not mean that the final score is not a true reflection of the game.

“What these irregularities mean is that the Electoral Commission, as a referee, has a duty under the law to provide a full and transparent account of the irregularities, a full and transparent account of how they happened, a full and transparent account of how they have been resolved, and a full and transparent account of how those who committed fouls will be held accountable.

“I was of the view that the Commission needed to do this before announcing the final result, and I even asked the High Court to prevail on MEC to do this before the final announcement.

“However, it has been decided by the Court that MEC should be allowed to address these matters during its final press briefing today, and I have accepted the Court’s direction.

“I am hopeful that MEC will also execute this second responsibility with flying colours, because doing so will ensure that our electoral process and our Democracy is stronger as we move forward.”

In the preamble of the national address, Chakwera acknowledged that it was clear two nights ago that that his main rival, Mutharika had already secure an insurmountable lead and is the presumptive winner of the presidential election when MEC announced the validated results of the presidential election from 11 Councils, bringing the total to 24 councils.

Thus today, he called Mutharika directly to congratulate him as an acceptance that the results of the presidential election that MEC has already validated and released, just as he will accept the final result MEC was is scheduled to announce.

He took cognizance that many of those who supported his campaign for re-election are disappointed with the outcome of the results but they should take pride that he he will forever be grateful for their trust in him and for their support of his candidacy.

“I also know that to the majority of you who voted, this outcome is a reflection of your collective will to have a change of Government, and so it is only right that I concede defeat out of respect for your will as citizens and out of respect for the Constitution.

“But regardless of whether or not you voted, and regardless of how you voted, if you are a Malawian citizen anywhere in the world, I want to thank you for conducting yourself throughout this election in a peaceful, orderly, and lawful manner.

“Most importantly, I want to thank the Lord God Almighty and all of you for the incredible privilege you gave me for the past five years to serve as your sixth President.

“In the days that remain before my successor takes his oath of office, I want you to know that I am fully committed to facilitate a peaceful transfer of power. I have already instructed my team to begin preparations to render the incoming administration any support needed to ensure a seamless process that safeguards our nation’s peace, order, institutions, public services, and constitutionalism.

“Additionally, I have issued directives for all my staff to see to it that over the coming days, all State Residences are left in good order and in time for the President-Elect to move in upon taking his oath of office.”

Going forward, Chakwera called on all Malawians to render the incoming President the same kind of collective support that they gave to MEC during this process, saying “Mutharika’s success in leading our nation towards prosperity will depend on all of us standing as one people in pursuit of our nation’s development”.

“So whether you are a political party, a candidate, or a voter, and whether you have emerged on the winning side or on the losing side, my prayer is that you will all remain active in taking our development and democracy forward, and my commitment is to do my part in that collective effort.

“To the members of my party, I will be giving further direction in the near future about how we will transition from my leadership in the months to come so that we can rebuild our platform for success in the future.

“But I believe that what matters now is for all of us as Malawians to work together as one nation to make Malawi better, because that’s how we will all be winners in the end. God bless you all and God bless Malawi.”

Meanwhile, former President Joyce Banda has also congratulated Mutharika and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on their victory noting that incoming President  faces the enormous task of addressing several challenges currently confronting the nation, particularly the economic downturn.

In a statement released from her office today, Joyce Banda assured Mutharika of her “full support as he works in the best interest of Malawians” and she also thanked Malawians for their peaceful conduct throughout the electoral process from the campaign period, to voting day, and during the wait for results from MEC.

“As I have already said in my earlier statement, people’s election of a new President is a testament to Malawians’ enduring trust in our democracy,” she said, while wishing Mutharika well in his new role and prayed for God’s blessings upon Malawi.