Another ‘Nyekhwe’ for MEC: Malawi Supreme Court upholds re-run in Mangochi West

Malawi’s Supreme Court of Appeal has rejected an appeal by the Malawi Electoral Commission and upheld the order for a re-run of the parliamentary election in Mangochi West.

On December 20 2019, High Court in Blantyre nullified the constituency’s legislative results in which Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Geoffrey Chiwondo was declared winner as Parliamentarian for Mangochi West and went on to be sworn as MP.

Judge Sylvester Kalembera ordered the electoral body to conduct a re-run in the constituency having considered what he described as “irregularities and inconsistencies in the results.”

Independent candidate Simeon Harrison took the matter to court, challenging the elections’ results and the electoral body’s declaration of the DPP candidate as the winner.

However, MEC appealed to the Supreme Court against the ruling.

But in his judgement, Supreme Court justice Frank Kapanda dismissed MEC’s application to suspend the ruling which he said is already in force and observed that Parliament already declared the seat vacant.

Lawyer Wester Kosamu, who represented Harrison, said he was delighted with the ruling.

“Again justice has prevailed,” he said.

Kosamu said MEC will have to proceed and prepare for fresh parliamentary election in Mangochi West.

Harrison claimed in court that he won the elections with one vote after beating Chiwondo with 4518 votes against 4517, which MEC declared Chiwondo had won with 4527 votes.