Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has disclosed that they will defend the Constitution of Malawi by making sure that President Muntharika steps down if the 150 days elapse without holding an election.
HRDC Chairperson Gift Trapence on Sunday 7th June, 2020 when addressing members of the press said that the presidency will be vacant if the 150 days that the Court ordered to have fresh elections elapse.
“Actually it not us HRDC we are saying that he has to step down actually it is the law, the law is very clear, the law is their and it gives presidency their mandate and also within the limits of their mandate so the law is very clear there is no one who is saying he should step down it is the law that is there. He was mandated by the Court to be a caretaker president for a period of 150 days he is not a president for life so if Malawians are going to mandate him after elections then he will continue ruling the country”,said Trapence.
Commenting on what President Muntharika said on Friday during his recorded speech at Parliament saying if anyone push him to step down after 150 days will be committing treason, Trapence said the President is out of his mind and he is the one trying to commit treason charges.
“Actually it’s him who is making the treason charges not Malawians, because when he wants to remain in power after 150 days that means he defies the law of this country. Therefore it’s him who wants to commit treason and not anybody because he is failing to comply with the law and actually he should not threaten Malawians that if they push him to step down they will be committing treason charges, if Malawians do that they will be doing what it is right, what is in our constitution. If APM defies the Court order he will be committing treason charges and it’s not for the first time for him to do that in 2014 he was charged with treason as well so we are not amused with these sentiments”,said Trapence.
On Friday 5th June 2020 APM said anyone who will push him to step down as a president of Malawi after 150 days then the person will be committing treason charges because the laws says the President should remain in power until the other president is elected.
APM in his statement he also asked the law makers to reverse the Court order. Meanwhile different people and stakeholders have faulted Muntharika on what he said in his speech saying he is abusing the laws of this Country and he should be careful.
