Chilima (left) when he was Peter Mutharika’s Vice-President
* Addressing this with transparency and urgency will help bring closure to the nation and reaffirmed our collective commitment to Justice and accountability
* As the UTM president congratulates the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader on his September 16 election victory
* The democratic process has spoken, and the will of the Malawians people has to be respected and upheld
By Duncan Mlanjira
UTM Party president, Dalitso Kabambe has congratulated the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader, Peter Mutharika on his September 16 election victory while at the same time calling on him to institute a thorough and independent enquiry into the tragic death of former Vice-President, Saulos Klaus Chilima.
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He emphasised that Chilima’s death “remains a matter of deep national concern [and] addressing this with transparency and urgency will help bring closure to the nation and reaffirm our collective commitment to ustice and accountability.”
He, however, cautioned that “electoral victories are a mandate for service, not retribution [and] a peaceful transfer of power will be a testament to the maturity of our democracy and the resilience of our nation”.
“As Malawi moves forward, I urge all stakeholders, supporters and citizens to remain committed to peace, unity and the collective development of our country. Malawi needs everyone working together, regardless of political differences, to foster stability and prosperity.
“Once again congratulations on your election. I am hopeful that under your leadership, Malawi will continue on the path of progress and unity,” says Kabambe in his statement.
Kabambe casting his vote
Meanwhile, Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson, Justice Annabel Mtalimanja expressed “deep concern over the recent trend where some political leaders and stakeholders are making premature declarations of victory or issuing public statements that directly contradict results officially released by the pollster.
“While we recognise and respect the freedom of expression and the right of political players to communicate with their supporters, we must emphasise the need for accuracy, responsibility, and respect for due process in all public statements related to the electoral process.
“The Commission has deliberately restrained itself from reacting to every comment made in press briefings or on public platforms. We believe that responding to each and every pronouncement risks creating unnecessary tension and distracting us from our core duty, which is to deliver a credible and lawful election.
“However, it becomes extremely difficult to remain silent when statements being made misrepresent facts, particularly regarding vote tallies and figures. Such misinformation does not only mislead the public but also undermines confidence in the electoral process and threatens national peace and unity.
“We, therefore, urge all leaders, political parties, and stakeholders to exercise maximum responsibility in their communications. We appeal to you to be factual, to rely on verified information, and to avoid inflaming the situation by projecting unverified claims.
“Let me reassure the nation that the Commission is operating strictly within the law and is committed to transparency at every stage. All results being released are subject to thorough verification, reconciliation, and validation.
“No figure is published unless it has been checked and confirmed through established procedures in the presence of monitors and observers. As chairperson, I humbly call upon all leaders to show patience, maturity, and statesmanship.
“Allow the Commission to complete its work in accordance with the Constitution and the Electoral Laws. In the end, the true will of the people will be declared openly and lawfully.
“This is the best way to safeguard our democracy and preserve peace for the benefit of every Malawian,” said Justice Mtalimanja, after she had reported that as of 19h00 yesterday, 35 out of 36 councils had managed to bring their results to the National Tally Centre — remaining with Mangochi District.
Justice Mtalimanja
She reported that Chitipa registered 86,980 voters of which a total of 68,131 turned up, representing 78.3% with 1,173 being void votes (1.7%) — thus putting 66,958 valid votes with Mutharika leading with 35,827 votes, incumbent Lazarus Chakwera with 13,936 and Kabambe with 9,035 with former President, Joyce Banda’s People’s Party (PP) earning 4,743.
Mutharika also leads in Rumphi which had 94,936 registered voters with 67,982 turning up (71.6%) with 1,390 being void (2.0%) percent — thus having 66,592 as valid from which Mutharika earned 29,957, Chakwera 24,486, Kabambe 6,627 and Joyce Banda 3,066 votes
Mulanje had a total of 279,761 registered voters from which 231,763 turned up (82.8%) with 5,251 being void (2.3%) — thus having 226,512 as valid from which Mutharika has 207,596, Kondwani Nankhumwa of the People’s Development Party (PDP) with 6,777 and Kabambe 2,579.
From the 76,629 registered voters in Mzuzu City, 56,776 turned up (74.1%) with 967 being void (1.7 percent) — thus having 55,809 as valid from which Mutharika earned 25,077, Chakwera 15,013 and Kabambe 12,782.
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MEC has so far determined results from 13 councils out of 36 — Neno, Salima, Ntchisi, Zomba City, Karonga Town, Likoma, Kasungu Municipality, Luchenza Municipality, Mwanza, Chitipa, Rumphi, Mulanje and Mzuzu City Council.
Satuday’s announcement indicated that Karonga Town Council had a total of 26,702 registered voters of which 18,235 turned up representing 68.3% with 463 being void votes (2.5%) — thus 17,772 as valid votes from which Peter Mutharika earned 8,971 votes; Lazarus Chakwera 4,388 and Dalitso Kabambe 3,413 as top three.
Zomba City registered 57,250 voters, of which 45,185 turned up representing 78.9% with 619 being void (1.4%) — thus 44,566 as from which Mutharika earned 35,536; Kabambe 3,990 and Chakwera 3,472.
A total of 141,799 registered voters were recorded in Ntchisi of which 104,757 turned up (73.9%) with 2,923 being void (2.8%) — thus 101,834 being valid: 81,635 for Chakwera, 11,365 for Mutharika and 2,671 for Kabambe.
In Salima, Mutharika got 60,830 votes, Chakwera 49,443 and Kabambe 3,673 from the 123,115 valid votes casted. The district registered a total of 186,585 voters of which 128,351 turned up (68.8%) with 5,236 being void (4.1%).
Neno also has Mutharika leading with 36,607, Chakwera (1,370) and Kabambe with 1,024 from the total of 41,433 voters that turned up (81.5%) with 770 being void (1.9%) percent.
Likoma had 8,664 registered voters but 6,937 turned up (80%) with 143 being void (2%) — thus 6,794 being valid votes from which Mutharika earned 4,177; Chakwera 1,817; Kabambe 485.
From the total of 25,645 registered voters in Kasungu Municipality, 18,614 turned up (73%) with 373 being void (2%) — thus 18,241 being valid votes with Chakwera earning 8,818, Mutharika 7,831 and Dalitso Kabambe 1,019.
From a total of 10,237 registered voters in Luchenza Municipality, 8,455 turned up (83%), 127 were void votes (2%) — thus 8,328 being valid votes with Mutharika earning 7,547, Chakwera 336 and Dalitso Kabambe 232.
Mwanza had 51,045 registered voters but 38,011 turned (74%), 1,210 being void (3%) — thus 36,801 were valid votes from which Mutharika earned 30,576; Chakwera 2,228 and Kabambe 2,203.
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MEC also indicated that they have also been receiving complaints and as advised before, Justice Mtalimanja reiterated that all complaints should be submitted in writing to the Chief Elections Officer through email ceo@mec.org.mw or hand delivered to the MEC head office at Chisankho House in Lilongwe.
“Complaints should not be submitted through WhatsApp texts or voice notes to various MEC staff — this will not be entertained. In accordance with section 65(h) of the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Act, the Commission provided Complaints Logbook for all polling stations.
“As required under section 92(1) of the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Act, complaints lodged at a polling station must be resolved by the Presiding Officer. If not resolved, the Commission is required to take decisions on all matters that have not been satisfactorily resolved at those levels.”
She also announced that after reviewing the presidential election results for Ntcheu, MEC discovered some discrepancies which made it difficult to conclude the determination of presidential results in the district.
“The Commission has decided to quarantine all the presidential results in the district in view of these discrepancies pending further investigations.”
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