The High Court in Blantyre has ordered President Lazarus Chakwera to send letters of appointment to Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Commissioners Jean Mathanga and Linda Kunje.
Judge Jack N’riva has made the ruling today after the two commissioners dragged the president to court over his refusal to give them their appointment letters.
According to lawyer Lusungu Gondwe of Ritz Attorneys which represented the commissioners, Chakwera has also been ordered to pay the two their honoraria which was withheld from them.
The two commissioners were appointed last year by the then president Peter Mutharika after the two were nominated by the Democratic Progressive Party.
Since Chakwera became president in June, his government has been refusing to offer letters of appointment to the two commissioners on the basis that they were adjudged incompetent by the Supreme Court of Appeal regarding the manner in which they handled the 2019 Presidential Elections.
This was in defiance to advice of the Attorney General (AG) Chikosa Silungwe who recommended that the two should be given appointment letters saying this would be “neater and mature political pragmatism.”
Last month, Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) Zangazanga Chikhosi announced the firing of the two arguing that they were declared incompetent by the courts.
However, the commissioners obtained an injunction which allowed them to continue working.
