Press Statement
Lilongwe, 2nd June, 2020
PRESIDENT MUTHARIKA SHOULD APOLOGISE TO MALAWIANS AND ALL THE WOMEN IN MALAWI
The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) is totally disturbed with derogatory remarks State President Peter Mutharika made on Monday June 1, 2020 at Goliati in Thyolo District in describing former President Dr. Joyce Banda as a whore.
CDEDI is shocked to imagine that Mutharika who is currently championing the He-for-She Campaign, made such unprintable words while in the company of First Lady Gertrude Mutharika and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) senior officials and cabinet ministers!
Mutharika’s sentiments have dragged the office of the presidency into total disrepute.
For starters, Mutharika’s own cabinet minister Ben Phiri was forced to apologize to all the women in Malawi after making similar remarks in Balaka in reference to former First Lady Shanil Muluzi.
Not long ago, another cabinet minister Charles Mchacha was also forced to apologize to journalist Boby Kabango for showering him with insults.
Now it is Mutharika himself at it! Before we conclude that vulgar language runs in DPP’s DNA, CDEDI is giving President Mutharika 48 hours to withdraw the words and apologize to all the women in Malawi.
As a trained lawyer, Mutharika should have been the first person to know that the office he is currently occupying has an expected protocol and decorum that ought to be upheld and treasured.
Should our call land on deaf ears, CDEDI will be forced to mobilize women across the country to demonstrate against Mutharika and write all the international bodies and institutions that honored and decorated Mutharika to withdraw all the accolades conferred on him.
CDEDI believes that if unchecked, Mutharika’s conduct has the potential to erode the gains made so far in the 50-50 women representation campaign.
Listening to Mutharika on Monday, one gets the impression of a person who has no moral ground to lead any nation. CDEDI is therefore, appealing to the DPP to consider writing the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to replace Mutharika as its candidate since Malawians cannot afford to have someone who showers insults on people, let alone women willy-nilly as their leader!
CDEDI would like to reiterate its appeal to all Malawians to exercise restraint and calm as we patiently wait for the National Assembly to fix the date for the Fresh Presidential Elections, which, we believe, is an apparent opportune time for anyone to vent their anger through the ballot.
Finally, we at CDEDI, are challenging Mutharika to immediately stop his unwarranted attacks on the Judiciary since no amount of insults can overturn both the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal rulings!
Let’s all accept the ruling and let Malawi move on!
BACKGROUND
CDEDI is a non partisan, nongovernmental organization that was established in a quest to attain a well-informed and organized citizenry that can ably demand their social and economic rights at the same time hold duty bearers accountable for their actions.
Among many others CDEDI aims at sensitizing the masses on matters of national importance, inculcate the spirit of a peaceful coexistence among people of different ethnic, political and religious affiliations; provide civic education on people’s rights and responsibilities in economic independence and contribution towards national development and lobbying for the electoral law reforms.
SIGNED
SYLVESTER NAMIWA
ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
0993462700
