Chakwera, Chilima reminisce ConCourt ruling
President Lazarus Chakwera and Vice-President Saulos Chilima yesterday reminisced about their working relationship as they celebrated the second anniversary of the February 3 2020 Constitutional Court (ConCourt) ruling that nullified the May 21 2019 Presidential Election.
In his preamble in the State of the Nation Address (Sona) in Parliament yesterday, Chakwera stressed how the relationship with his now second-in-command has been fruitful and how the historical court ruling fixed the country’s electoral system radically and legally.
He said the fix happened because together with Chilima, they presented grievances to a credible and competent court whose institutional independence was indisputable and whose integrity and courage in the face of corruption and intimidation is uncompromising.
Chakwera said: “But it also happened because in presenting our grievances, Dr Chilima and I publicly confronted the structural, administrative and legislative gaps of a State institution that had allowed its agents to corrupt operations.
“Truth be told, even though what the courts did to fix the dysfunctional electoral system is celebrated worldwide, we as a nation have never truly had an opportunity to express our thanks. I believe that this anniversary of that ruling is a God-given chance for us to do so.”
While applauding the five judges that sat as ConCourt for their courage in handling the presidential election case, Chakwera said the judges did not only nullify the 2019 presidential election but also reckoned what it means to win an election by a majority had been unconstitutional for over two decades.
Further, the President described his pairing with Chilima in the case as that of two servant leaders carrying the weight of a nation’s hope for justice.
Writing on Twitter yesterday, Chilima said the nullification of the presidential election was a new lease of life for the country’s democracy and constitutionalism.
Wrote Chilima: “As we celebrate this day, let every citizen in our nation remain vigilant in sustaining the renewed gift of a constitutional democracy that was born again on February 3 2020 and matured on May 8 2020 in the [Malawi] Supreme Court of Appeal.”
On February 3 2020, the Constitutional Court nullified the May 21 2019 Presidential Election over alleged irregularities, especially in the results management system as prayed by Chilima, the first petitioner in the case and Chakwera, who was the second petitioner.
The court further declared that then president Peter Mutharika of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was not duly elected and ordered a fresh presidential election within 150 days.
