The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) on Saturday suspended primary elections in Juliana Lunguzi’s Dedza East constituency.
Party officials were forced to postpone the polls as they feared disturbances at the function would escalate into violence.
Presiding officer, Richard Chimwendo Banda, said the decision to cancel the elections was arrived at in order to protect lives of people.
In the primary elections, incumbent Member of Parliament, Juliana Lunguzi, is fighting to keep her candidacy from Mussa M’bwana and Patrick Bandawe.
According to reports, people from other areas went to the venue of the polls in order to cast votes.
Chimwendo Banda approved names of eligible voters from 40 areas of the constituency but could not continue with the process as a dispute ensued.
According to Banda, the school ground was not a proper venue as there was no restriction, hence youth managed to disturb the voting process.
“We will ask the region to give us a proper venue since this is a ground and we could not control the crowd. We decided to cancel and come back on another day,” he said.
He also assured people in the area that the party will do all it can to ensure the primaries are held.
