Women parliamentary aspirants uninterested in Mzuzu City
The race for the MP for the Mzuzu City constituency is only attracting men and ironically they are all from the ruling People’s Party (PP).
The lone woman, Violet Chituzu Nyirenda, a former civil servant and journalist, also from PP who a few months ago, registered her presence on the MP’s radar race, bowed out the sooner she made presence known citing “a cluttered work schedule and the need to continue with further education”
So far, the PP male race includes Leonard Njikho, Burdens Mfungwe, MacHellings Kayala, incumbent MP Professor Peter Mwanza .
Njikho, popularly known as ‘Uncle Jose’, Chairs PP’s Mzuzu Committee of the Orange Partners.
Robert Banda has shown interest to stand on a UDF ticket. While aspirants from Aford , DPP, Petra, MCP and other fringe parties are yet to be known.
In June this year the Malawi Electoral Commission reduced nomination fees by 25 percent for women aspirants in both the parliamentary and Local Government race as an incentive to encourage more women to compete for these positions.
The move was in line with Malawi’s campaign for the 50-50.
Presidential Candidates will cough MK1,000,000 while Parliamentary candidates (male) will part with MK200,000 and their female counterpart with MK150,000. At the Local government level (males) will pay MK20,000 and females MK15,000.
Meanwhile registration for the 2014 elections will be done in ten phases and the first phase covering Nsanje, Chikhwawa, Neno, Mwanza districts and the following wards in Blantyre City; Mbayani, Michiru, South Lunzu, Blantyre City Central and Chilomoni, has already ended.
Each phase will be taking 14 days including public holidays and weekends. There will be a three-day transitions in between each phase.—MEC Stringer
