Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) acting president, Peter Mutharika, has apologised for the mistakes the party made when it was in power including frustrating media freedom.

Speaking when he addressed a rally in Lilongwe, Mutharika applauded the media for accurately presenting facts about the meeting he held in Thyolo last week.

He urged the media to move together with the party as partners in ensuring that democracy flourishes in the country.

“I would like to thank The Daily Times, The Nation and other media houses for accurately covering our last week’s rally. If we did something wrong in the past, you should forgive us. We should work together. From now onwards, let’s forget all grudges and work for the good of our country,” Mutharika said.

He said even if the state-controlled Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) shuns his rallies, people will still recognise his face on the ballot in 2014.

Mutharika then told the crowd that he was concerned with the lapse in the country’s security, saying the situation will be reversed in 2014 when the DPP bounces back to power.

He said if the party’s convention chooses him as the party’s presidential candidate, he will continue with the programmes his late brother Bingu started like the farm input subsidy programme and construction of five universities, among others.

He advised the party’s supporters to concentrate on rebuilding their party.

“I would like to appeal to all our supporters to respect all people in the government and people from other political parties. We should concentrate on building our party,” Mutharika said.

Present at the meeting were the party’s national governing council members, who included vice presidents Jean Kalilani and Yunus Mussa and some of the party’s MPs.