Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has accused opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader Peter Mutharika of mobilising youths across the country to hold nationwide demonstrations against the national identity (ID) card registration system. MCP secretary-general (SG) Richard Chimwendo Banda made these claims at Area 18 in Lilongwe on Saturday while welcoming President Lazarus Chakwera back from the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York. However, DPP spokesperson Shadric Namalomba dismissed Chimwendo’s accusations, labelling them an attempt to impress Chakwera. Namalomba warned that making “baseless and illogical accusations” against his party is unacceptable. Chimwendo Banda told Chakwera that some individuals are envious of the good work the President is apparently doing in developing the country. “I want to tell you this, Your Excellency: people love you. But as people love you, there will always be jealous individuals. One of these is Peter Mutharika, who is deceiving Malawians by claiming he will develop Malawi. “He already said that he would develop Malawi like Singapore, but he failed. Today, Mutharika has mobilised many youths to hold demonstrations in this country. “They say they want to address the issue of registration with the cards which they introduced in 2017. They want Malawians to start demonstrating in the country’s cities and vandalising cars,” the MCP SG said. He further charged that if there is anything wrong with the ID system, stakeholders must resolve the challenges.
“But Malawians must not lose their property or get hurt because of demonstrations organised by the DPP,” Chimwendo Banda said. He appealed to Malawians not to listen to what he described as DPP’s lies. “They know that politically, they cannot match us. Their party is a failed party. Their leader is a failed leader. “They want to incite violence in the country by lynching people, but we will not retaliate. We will be at the forefront with you, working hard,” Chimwendo Banda added. He further told Chakwera that the MCP youths will not retaliate because “they know that Chakwera is a peace-loving leader”.
In response, Namalomba said Chimwendo Banda’s claims that DPP was mobilising youth protests against the national registration process were unfounded and misleading. “Furthermore, Chimwendo Banda’s assertion that DPP will never return to power is misguided. Malawians have expressed dissatisfaction with Chakwera’s corrupt and incompetent government and are demanding change. “The people yearn for Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika’s leadership. Chimwendo Banda’s rhetoric disregards the will of the people and showcases arrogance and superiority,” Namalomba said. He urged the current administration to acknowledge what he termed the reality that their time is coming to an end.
Addressing the gathering that turned up to welcome him, Chakwera said Malawi belongs to all Malawians. He stressed that the Malawi Constitution provides for freedom of association and that people are free to choose with whom they wish to associate. “Democracy is different from how you feel in your heart. Democracy is about respecting others. Democracy is about giving others freedom. Democracy is about respecting one another,” the President said. He then urged Malawians to work hard in the fields, with the rainy season just around the corner.
The genesis of the ID saga is the requirement by electoral laws that only those with national IDs will be allowed to register to vote in the 2025 General Elections.
There have been concerns among some election stakeholders, including DPP itself, that solely relying on the ID will disenfranchise some Malawians who are struggling to obtain the document, meaning that in its absence, they will not be able to register to vote.
Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) Chairperson Justice Annabel Mtalimanja told the Defence and
Security Committee of Parliament that amending the law to accommodate the use of other forms of identification would impact the commission’s activities.
Mtalimanja appeared before the committee to explain Mec’s security preparedness for the elections, which observers foresee will be closely contested.
She indicated that amending the law might force the commission to redesign its activities, affecting
everything from budgeting to the configuration of its machines.
However, in a later interview, DPP publicity secretary Shadric Namalomba told The Daily Times that the
party will do everything possible to push for an amendment to the law.
“We will do anything at all costs, including amending the Act to remove the requirement for national
identity cards and approaching the courts to challenge this unconstitutional requirement
“It should be noted that it is our duty as citizens of Malawi to ensure that our constitutional right to vote is protected at all costs,” Namalomba said.