Malawians have weighed in on UTM leader Saulos Chilima’s performance in court when he was cross-examined by the Attorney General Kalekeni Kaphale in the presidential election case.
On Thursday and Friday, Kaphale grilled Chilima on roles of monitors in the polls, use of tippex to alter results, evidence of bribing polling staff and tampering with tally sheets, among others.
At one point, Kaphale asked Chilima if he would produce tally sheets that were tampered with to manipulate results as claimed in Chilima’s affidavit. The UTM leader said: “Personally I wouldn’t.”
He also said tippex was not used to alter results but to correct errors.
Some Malawians said Chilima came across as underprepared and could not adequately respond to questions posed to him.
They also noted that the former vice president answered in affirmative to Kaphale’s questions, some of which contained claims that the elections were not affected by irregularities.
“One doesn’t need to be a lawyer to understand that the two day cross examination of Chilima by AG has made the UTM leader invalidate the narrative that tippex was used to rig elections,” wrote Mac Tembo on Facebook.
Another Malawian wrote: “Chilima deserves such types of questions and the way he got answers shows how hungry he is with leadership without quantifying what he really sued for. Just imagine he agreed that the figures were correct though tippex were used but he is against the process.”
Meanwhile, the hearing continues today when Kaphale will continue crops-examining Chilima.
The UTM leader and Malawi Congress Party President Lazarus Chakwera are challenging the outcome of the May 21 in which President Peter Mutharika was declared winner. Mutharika and MEC are respondents in the case.
” … the hearing continues today when Kaphale will continue crops-examining Chilima.”
I was not aware that Chilima had taken produce from his garden for the Court to examine.
Chilima thought it was going to be a walk in the park. There was too much talking from the Chilima Camp and especially him Chilima. He should have just let Chakwera proceed alone. After all he came 3rd in the whole race. Instead of talking Tippex he was now talking irregularity. His Lawyers should have coached him. He is too pompous compared to Chakwera. You can check the way he was dressed in Military fatigue like some desert warrior in Iran or Iraq. He is a poster boy. Selling Airtime and politics are two different things. Now its too late to change the Tippex narrative. Mebbe the guy is still DPP at heart.
if Chilima cant manage to produce the adequateproof for rigged elections then he must rot in prison since the fight for no reason and that the must be accountable for all the immoral behaviours that he created with immediate effect no lies Chilima you,re useless go to hell