Malawi election fraud case live TV coverage ruling June 26: Unlike police, army welcomed with wild celebrations by crowd

A five-judge Constitutional Court panel is this Wednesday expected to hand down a landmark ruling on whether two major broadcasters can beam on television live the case by Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera and UTM Party leader Saulos Chilima who are disputing the May 21 presidential poll results.

Privately-owned Times Group and Zodiak separately applied to the court for live coverage of the poll case proceedings heard at the High Court premises in Lilongwe.

Thw two broadcasters  say the poll case is of national importance hence the need to beam the case live from the court room.

Judge Healey Potani and Anthony Kamanga said on Friday the ruling on the matter will be delivered on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Kalekeni Kaphale is proceeding with the appeal against the court ruling to continue with the poll case.

President Peter Mutharika legal team wanted the court to kick out the case on technicalities.

However, the court refused to stop the hearing of the case until the matter was determined by the Supreme Court.

Speaking after the ruling on Friday, UTM president Saulos Chilima, the country’s immediate former vice-president, jokingly said the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) had been knocked down one to nil.

“In fact, it is two to nil. I am happy that we are proceeding with the case,” said Chilima.

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera said his party and the legal team would not relent in seeking justice over the elections.

“We will not stop until the wheels of justice grind to a halt,” said Chakwera.

Chakwera and Chilima went to the court to seek for a rerun of the presidential election, claiming that the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) connived with the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to manipulate the poll results in favour of the DPP candidate, Peter Mutharika.

The court was parked with opposition supporters and when the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldier came with armoured vehicles, they were  welcomed with wild celebrations by the crowd who seemed to be enjoying the proceedings.

Mutharika who was declared winner with 38 percent of the votes trailed by Chakwera with 35 percent and Chilima with 20 percent.

The five judges hearing the matter are Healey Potani, Mike Tembo, Dingiswayo Madise, Ivy Kamanga and Redson Kapindu.

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