UTM candidate in Nsanje North has pulled out of the parliamentary race due to financial issues as the party has not been supporting him.
This came to light during vetting exercise which happened on the 11th of March 2021 ahead of the March 30 by-elections.
Kennedy Jailosi who was representing UTM said he has pulled out of the race because of financial problems. According to Jailosi, the party is silent on the forthcoming by-election and he cannot manage on his own.
“It is true that I have pulled out of the race, this is so because of my financial problems, the party is not helping me, this problem is not for me only but for everyone who is contesting on UTM ticket. We went to the new Presidential elections without the party support and this time around it is the same, since the party is silent I will not push them, thereby choosing to pull out of the race,” said Jailosi.
United Democrat Front (UDF) candidate in Nsanje Central constituency Laston Saidi Katole has also withdrawn his candidature saying said he will not contest since the party is in an alliance with Democratic Progressive Party whose candidate is Francis Kasaila.
“We are in an alliance with DPP and am not contesting, I will just support Kasaila during this period,” said Katole.
Speaking after the whole exercise, Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) acting director of administration and human resources King Rudi who is the team leader for Nsanje central constituency advised those who pulled out of the race to put it in writing.
Rudi hailed the whole process saying it has gone on well.
“All has gone well in Nsanje central constituency, but one has pulled out of the race and we have told him to put that in writing, while the other one is out of the country and we do not know if she will contest or not since she did not send any representative,” said Rudi.
Speaking in an interview after verifying his details, Malawi Congress Party MCP Candidate Kafandikhale Mandevana said he is ready to face his rivals.
Mandevana said the pulling out of one candidate from the race is not new and it shows democracy.
“I am not afraid of the alliance, this is a race and I will do it and this just shows how strong our democracy is,” he said
He further advised his followers to avoid violence during campaigns.
Nsanje Central had five contestants who appeared on the ballot paper in the previous elections but now one has pulled out while Esmy Hubert Bande who was representing DEPECO is believed to be abroad and is silent on whether she will contest or not.
Nsanje North constituency had four contestants on the ballot paper in the 2019 tripartite elections and one, Patrick Bande, has pulled out while another one is also abroad but rumours shows that Bande who was an independent candidate wants his name to still appear on the ballot paper despite that he is abroad.
