The High Court in Blantyre has ordered the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to conduct November 10 by-elections in Mangochi North-East and West constituencies using the old voters’ roll and maintain the candidates who competed in the annulled elections of May 21 2019.
This follows an injunction an independent candidate for Mangochi North-East, Martin Nyengo obtained, restraining MEC against conducting new registration and also allowing new candidates to contest.
This means that the electoral body will only proceed to use new voters’ roll in Lilongwe North West Constituency which fell vacant after President Lazarus Chakwera was elected as president and Karonga Central whose legislator, Cornelius Mwalwanda died.
Nyengo, through his lawyer, Chimwemwe Kalua took the injunction, two weeks ago after MEC had just started conducting a fresh registration in all the places where the by-elections are taking place.
High Court Judge, Joseph Chigona granted Nyengo the court relief.
According to Kalua, Chigona has ruled in favor of his candidate, Nyengo, saying MEC needs to apply same formula it used during the Fresh Presidential Elections (FPE) when conducting the by-elections.
“I am very happy with the judgment because my client’s concern has been vindicated. Actually the judgment applies to all the two constituencies in Mangochi because we consolidated the issues of the two constituencies into one case,” he disclosed.
When asked, MEC director of media, Sangwani Mwafulirwa said the commission will sit down and see what it should do regarding the elections in following for the order.
“The commission is set to meet very soon and chart the way forward. But we will be continuing doing everything that leads to the elections including receiving of the nomination papers from the candidates as we are doing right now,” he said.
