APM plans private life after defeat
Immediate past president Peter Mutharika says he plans to lead a private life after losing the June 23 2020 presidential election to Tonse Alliance leader Lazarus Chakwera.
Respomding to a question on Mutharika’s plan is after his loss, the former president’s spokesperson Mgeme Kalilani said: “His immediate plan is to settle down as a private citizen like any other Malawian and shake off the aura of public life having made his contribution towards making Malawi better at the level of the presidency.”
He said Mutharika, who contested on a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ticket, still maintains his earlier stand that the June 23 election is the worst election in the country’s history.
Mutharika on Sunday told journalists at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre that some DPP monitors were intimidated and assaulted mostly in polling centres in the Central Region to prevent them from monitoring the elections.
He said: “In most instances, we believe most of the results that were sent to MEC are not a true reflection of the people. Unfortunately, there were no DPP and UDF [United Democratic Front] monitors to report irregularities. Strangely, the Malawi Electoral Commission has dismissed our complaints because our monitors were not there to report irregularities.”
On whether Mutharika will attend the inauguration ceremony that is expected to take place on July 6 at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, Kalilani said he had not yet received an invitation.
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) declared Chakwera winner of the election with 2 607 043 votes representing 58.7 percent, Mutharika had 1 751 877 votes (38 percent), while Peter Kuwani of Mbakuwaku Movement for Development came third with 32 456 votes.
