CLAIM
The false claim that the 2019 Malawi Presidential elections were rigged was made by the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP)’s leader Reverend Lazarus Chakwera, it was echoed by Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) and it fuelled months of violent protests organized by opposition parties and civil society. This is probably the biggest fake claim about what transpired in Malawi.
CONCLUSION
Both the ConCourt and Supreme Court exonerated President Arthur Mutharika from the rigging claims, as the nullification of the Presidential vote only related to procedural issues that both courts blamed on the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).
- This is not the first time where MACRA has taken action on MBC, in January 2020 Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) has invited Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) to a hearing on issues surrounding the reference of Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) as a terrorist group in one of the State broadcaster’s bulletins and some remarks made in one of the broadcaster’s programmes regarding the alleged Msundwe rape case.
- In May, 2018 the Same MACRA summoned MBC over concerns to open up the airwaves for the opposition parties and that its content is largely biased towards the ruling party.
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