MCP rules out MEC judicial review interrupting Malawi fresh poll

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has said the judicial review on the appointment of Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) commissioners will not affect the preparations for the June 23 presidential election.

The party secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka says the party is not seeking the court to suspend the commissioners.

MCP president Lazarus Chakwera has taken President Peter Mutharika to court over his decision to retain commissioners; Jean Mathanga and Linda Kunje in the new commission after the Constitutional Court ruled the previous commission was incompetent.

Chakwera is also seeking judicial review on why President Peter Mutharika appointed four Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) appointees into the commission against two from the MCP.

“The commissioners should go ahead with the preparations of the elections as we are seeking the judicial review. We do not want to interrupt the preparations for the election,” said Mkaka.

He said the law is very clear that Mutharika was supposed to pick three appointees from MCP and three from the DPP.

“What we want is that the court should order that one DPP appointee be dropped and one from the MCP be added,” he said.

High Court registrar Agnes Patemba said Judge Kenyatta Nyirenda will hear the case with speed so that judgment is made before the election date.