Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera concedes defeat, congratulates Mutharika
Chakwera said he had personally telephoned Mutharika to congratulate him on the victory and wish him well as he prepares to return to office.
Malawi President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has conceded defeat in the country’s September 16 presidential election after provisional results showed former President Peter Mutharika had taken a comfortable lead.
In a statement on Wednesday, Chakwera said he had personally telephoned Mutharika to congratulate him on the victory and wish him well as he prepares to return to office.
According to Chakwera, provisional tallies from 24 out of 36 Councils had all but guaranteed Mutharika’s victory.
“A moment ago, I called Professor Mutharika directly to congratulate him on his historic victory and to wish him well in his upcoming tenure as the seventh president of the Republic of Malawi,” he said.
“I have done this because I accept the results of the presidential election that the Malawi Electoral Commission has validated and released, just as I will accept the final result that the Commission is scheduled to announce at 2:00 pm.”
Further, Chakwera acknowledged that the outcome of the polls reflected the collective decision of Malawians for change.
“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,” he said.
Chakwera went on to thank his supporters for backing his candidacy, while praising Malawians for maintaining peace throughout the election period.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Chakwera also took the opportunity to thank his followers who supported his re-election, noting that while the outcome of the polls is disappointing, he will forever be grateful. He similarly committed to facilitating a peaceful transfer of power,
“I have 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,” said Chakwera.
However, Chakwera maintained that there were electoral irregularities during the process in a number of districts, which he said were flagged both by his party and the Electoral Commission itself.
“Even in sports, the occurrence of foul play does not mean that the final score is not a true reflection of the game,” he said.
“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.”
Chakwera added that he had sought the High Court’s intervention to compel the Commission to clarify the issues before declaring the results, but the Court directed that the body be allowed to address them in its final briefing.
“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,” he said.
Top Stories Today
