The chickens have now come home to roost. The impunity that was in DPP has now been smoked out. The court has descended on the DPP like a ton of bricks. Perhaps they will learn a lesson.
Do you remember the shambolic appointment of the Malawi Electoral Commissioners way back in 2020? Peter Mutharika flouted all procedures and made appointments in breach of the law. Imagine yet he billed himself to be a Professor of law. Do you remember that episode?
Well, the High court has ordered the party (DPP) to pay K59 million to Attorney General as costs for suing in a constitutional court on the appointment of those commissioners. Just to further refresh your memory, the DPP went to court to seek a constitutional interpretation after the High Court in Lilongwe, hearing Malawi Congress Party (MCP) vs President of Malawi in 2019 ruled that four Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) commissioners were appointed illegally.
According to the court judgment made by the Assistant Registrar Ibrahim Hussein, DPP has been ordered to pay K27, 925,000 for court attendance, K4 million for court disbursement among other payments.
“In total, DPP should pay K51, 472,500.00 plus K8, 492,962.50 which is equal to K59, 968,462.50, any aggrieved party may seek redress within the prescribed period,” reads part of the judgment.
Well, they need another blue night to look for this money. Remember they were also ordered to pay back money which they were forcing city and district councils in the country including the parastatal organizations to pay them money for the purposes of running their party. Now they have to cough this money as well. Probably this will call for another blue night fundraiser.
Frankly speaking, DPP needs a serious reconfiguration and at this rate, then better the MCP continue steering this country further than going back to impunity that was DPP.
