Wow, Happy Birthday Mr. President: “You Are Truly Different”

BY FOCUS MAGANGA

When president Peter Mutharika was delivering his State of National Address (SONA) June last month, parliamentarians from the opposition benches used the opportunity to hurl insults, and to ridicule and excruciate him and his presidency, which they continue to describe as illegitimate.

They sang songs mocking him personally, and his position, with which in exercise of the jurisdiction it renders, he came to deliver the SONA. The parliamentarians came with their Tippexes. They were throwing them at his face while chanting, “Tipp-ex president.”

Several times, President Mutharika tried in vain to start his own speech. But the main opposition MCP’s parliamentarians stole the show. They danced and made sure he was wholly disturbed.

But the president stayed calm and watched them humiliate him in front of national television cameras, and in front of international donor community. His wife had sat somewhere, probably helpless, and watching the most powerful man in the country living his moment of shame.

You could guess, the president could have fainted or stood at once, charged and reiterating with fire.

But no, he remained composed on his chair. He was taking his water and watching the parliamentarians whom he was elected with in the very same elections. All the parliamentarians had already been sworn in.

DPP leader of the house, Hon Nankhumwa moved here and there trying to friendelise the atmosphere.

This will go down into history as one of the most hostile audience in the history of our democracy. It was supposed to be APM’s moment of shame. But no, it wasn’t. It was the moment he proved to most of us he is far a democratic gem. In the future, history will remind us of this moment and particularly the very first statement the president said, “today our democracy has been at his best”.

Wow, happy birthday Mr. President. Some of us are able to admit, “you are truly different”.

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