LILONGWE – Peter Mutharika’s re-election has sparked unprecedented political tensions in Malawi.
As opposition parties challenge his controversial re-election, the judiciary has announced that its decision will be clear next Monday.
Malawi has been undergoing these political turmoils since 21 May 2019, when the opposition challenged the outcome of the 2019 May elections.
“A number of boarding schools in Malawi have closed and sent their pupils home ahead of a court ruling next week about the country’s disputed election. The schools say they fear there may be violence in the aftermath of the ruling,” reported BBC Africa
According to reports from BBC Africa, leading bus companies have also issued notices saying that there will be no services on the day of the judgment.
More to that, the information minister has called for calm, saying the government has put in place measures to ensure all citizens are safe since it is feared that there might be violence after the court ruling on Monday.
The Constitutional Court will deliver its ruling in the high profile presidential case on Monday, 3 February 2020 at Lilongwe District Registry of the High Court. High Court Registrar Agnes Patemba has confirmed saying proceedings will begin at 9 AM.
” Access to the court premises will be restricted to individuals with access cards and there will be security personnel to enforce the rule,” added Patemba.
According to Patemba, members of the general public will not be allowed within a 150 perimeter fence of the court premises and they will be expected to follow the proceedings through radio stations accredited to broadcast the case live. This is in avid to avoid any unnecessary violence.
Patemba, the High Court Registrar, also repeated the call saying the judgment will favour either the respondents (MEC and Mutharika) or the petitioners.
“So whosoever will not be satisfied with the judgment of the High Court will have the right to appeal to the Supreme Court. Just to say that as they initially followed the legal process to take this issue to court if they will not be satisfied we want to plead with them to proceed with the same route to take the matter to the Supreme Court,” she said.
