By Linda Kwanjana
I don’t know if many people have noticed the behavioural pattern of UTM supporters. UTM supporters are so funny. They are the only supporters who think highly of themselves.
Because they think highly of themselves they end up believing their own lies as the only truth.
This is the more reason these people are always in denial even when the truth is glaring right in their faces.
To say that they live in their own imaginary world is not an overstatement. In that imaginary world, Chilima is beyond reproach, he does not err and is even above the law.
Take the issue of Chilima’s eligibility for example. According to UTM supporters; those saying the law does not allow him to contest as the presidential candidate in the 2025 election as he would have served two consecutive terms as the country’s Vice State President have personal hatred on Chilima.
What they are forgetting is that this is not a straightforward matter. If it was straightforward as they would want us to believe, there should not have been these debates in the first place.
In any case if they are really keen to see their leader on the ballot come 2025 the best thing the UTM supporters could have done is to encourage their leadership to seek the court’s interpretation of the said Section 83 instead of being oversentimentalising it.
At one point a Professor of Law at the University of Malawi, Garton Kamchedzera advised the Vice President to be in good books with President Chakwera so that the President could get a referral by asking the Chief Justice to institute the Constitutional Court to interpret the contentious section.
In 2020, the Malawi Law Society through its honorary Secretary, Martha Kaukonda was quoted by the Nation on Sunday as saying that the law will not allow Chilima to contest in the 2025 elections for the same reasons.
She said: “This judgement is dated May 16, 2009 and cannot be appealed from now by parties, let alone (Vice President] Dr Saulos Chilima, who was not party to the case. So the question of appealing is out of question and MLS wouldn’t recommend constitutional amendments suit a particular individual.”
And just last week, a renowned Social Science Lecturer at the University of Malawi Dr Boniface Dulani said Malawi law does not allow Chilima to contest in the 2025 election.
He said: “The Malawi laws do not allow anyone who has served for two consecutive terms to run for the presidency.”
It’s just unfortunate that the case in point right now is Chilima but these are matters of law and it’s not wise to take it personal as UTM supporters are doing. If I were the Vice President of the Republic of Malawi I would tread carefully by not getting carried away by supporters’ sentiments.
