MANGOCHI, Malawi, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Malawian President Peter Mutharika on Sunday accused opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leader Lazarus Chakwera of scaring away foreign investors by inciting violence in protest against the May 21 presidential elections results.

Mutharika made the accusation in the eastern lakeshore and tourism destination district of Mangochi, where he held a political rally to thank the people from the region for voting for him and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidates in the May 21 tripartite elections.

The region, which comprises four districts, gave Mutharika over 530,000 votes and 29 parliamentary seats during the elections -- a development the re-elected Malawian president described as unprecedented.

But Mutharika accused the opposition MCP leader of putting the country's economic development at risk by encouraging "violent" demonstrations against the presidential results.

The president cited the postponement of the country's international trade fair due to social instability following the opposition party's protests as an example of how negatively the protests were affecting the country.

The Malawian leader appealed to Chakwera to refrain from encouraging his party followers to stage "violent" protests.

"I, therefore, invite all those who lost the election to accept their loss gracefully and come and join me in building this nation," Mutharika added.

Two opposition leaders -- MCP's Chakwera and former Vice President Saulosi Chilima of the United Transformation Movement -- petitioned the country's high court to nullify the May 21 presidential elections results, citing rigging.

The case was referred to the country's constitutional court and on Friday, lawyers from all the concerned sides met a five-judge panel in the capital, Lilongwe, in what was called a scheduling conference aimed at scrutinizing the case's documents before the trial commences. Enditem

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