Opposition ends boycott

The opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and its coalition partner the Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) returned to parliament on Monday after boycotting Friday's opening address by President Bakili Muluzi, news reports said. The opposition deputies took up their seats in parliament on Monday to participate in the debate on the president's address, which is scheduled to last for two weeks. "The opposition coalition boycotted the session on Friday, arguing that they don't recognise Muluzi's legitimacy as president of Malawi because they claim he rigged the 15 June presidential elections," media sources told IRIN. Meanwhile, the High court on Friday ordered Malawi's electoral commission to allow the opposition coalition to inspect voting materials from the 16 regions in which MCP/AFORD claim the presidential polls were rigged, media reports said. The judge gave the commission seven days in which to gather the relevant voting materials to be inspected at the commission's headquarters within 14 days. The judge added that he would set a date for the next hearing within 30 days, the reports said. The ruling follows the opposition coalition's application to the court to annul the presidential elections which Muluzi won by 51 percent of the vote to MCP/AFORD candidate Gwanda Chakuamba's 44 percent.