UTM presidential candidate Saulos Chilima has claimed that former Zimbabwe Police commissioner general Augustine Chihuri is in Malawi to assist the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rig Tuesday’s elections.
Chilima made the claim at a press conference in Lilongwe this morning, a few minutes before the end of the official campaign period.
He said Chihuri has been training DPP youths who will be deployed as genuine police officers during the elections.
Chilima who is also vice president of Malawi then demanded the immediate deportation of Chihuri.
“We are demanding Chihuri to leave the country, he should not disrupt our elections,” Chilima said.
He also claimed that on Saturday night some people attempted to steal ballot papers in Mzimba and Karonga leading to a near shootout between the thugs and Malawi Defence Force soldiers who are protecting the ballot papers.
He also expressed concern that police officers based in Nsanje and Chikwawa have not been deployed to monitor elections in their respective districts as is the procedure.
“We remind MEC that the procedure is that police officers monitor elections in districts where they are based and additional officers are only brought in when the officers from that district are not enough,” he said.
Chilima also said that the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) wanted to shut down communication systems on Election Day but the plans were thwarted by lawyers who attended the planning meeting.
Chilima then appealed to Malawians to be alert saying the DPP wants to use all means to stay in power and promised to reveal
Malawians will vote on Tuesday for a president, members of parliament and councillors.
Chilima ndi dilu