Yeremia Chihana’s plan to contest the Rumphi Central by-election on the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ticket has hit a snag after the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) ruled he is ineligible to run under the party.
The decision means Chihana cannot use the DPP platform in the by-election, though it does not bar him from contesting under a different political arrangement.
MEC chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja said candidates who were duly nominated in the September 16 general elections are not allowed to change party allegiance during by-elections.
She also warned that political parties are restricted, noting that parties which sponsored candidates in last year’s elections cannot replace them with new candidates.
Chihana previously contested and lost the Mzimba Kafukule parliamentary seat under the Alliance for Democracy (Aford).
Following the defeat, he shifted allegiance to DPP with the intention of contesting the Rumphi Central seat.
The constituency fell vacant after Aford president Enock Chihana, his brother, was appointed Second Vice-President by President Peter Mutharika under the Blue Alliance agreement.
