President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika and Opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera on Sunday left aside their political rivalry and led Malawians in paying homage to fallen brave heroes who died during the two World Wars, between 1914-1918 and 1939-1945.

The function was held at Zomba War Memorial Tower at Cobbe Barracks in the old capital.

In a continuation of delegation of duties within the Presidency, the Malawi leader was represented by his Vice, Saulos Chilima, in a similar function in Lilongwe. Similarly, Finance Minister, Goodall Gondwe, who is also Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Vice President for the North, was delegated by the President to represent him in that region.

The function comes a couple of weeks after President Mutharika launched it at Kamuzu Palace where he purchased the most expensive Poppy flower at K1.5 million as a display of commitment towards his heartfelt commiseration of the day. It is at the same function that he also reiterated his government’s commitment to continue taking care of living war veterans who are perpetually in need of help.

Poppy Day, also known as remembrance Day, is observed in Commonwealth of Nations member states since the end of the First World War to remember the members of their armed forces who died in the line of duty.

It is observed on November 11, a day when First World War hostilities ended in 1918 but individual states have the liberty to fix the commemoration on their days of choice, mostly weekends closer to that date.