Bagus claims Mchacha blocked him from contesting, MP Issa boycotts DPP primaries

The governing Democratic Progressive Party DPP deputy Regional Governor for the Central region David Kambalame had to declare Samuel Office as the winner of the primary elections in Chikwawa Central Costituency which incumbent member of Parliament for the area Zahil Gaffer Issa and fomer pariamentarian Salim Bargus did not contest.

Other candidates, Winston Mapemba and Stera Kamangira- the sole female candidate in the primary elections also boycotted the elections accusing the candidate who was declared as the winner of fellying supporters outside the constituency to vote.

Kambalame who was the presiding officer for the primary elections however in an interview said he verified names of people to vote by calling out names of people per area.

He added that he was not aware why the incumbent member of Parliament for the area Zahil Gaffer Issa and Salim Bagus did not contest in the elections, saying he was only given the names of contestants by the Constituency Governor.

” As presiding officer I do not come up with names of people to contest. I was only given three names of people as contestants by the constituency governor,” said Kambalame. 

However in an interview, Bagus said he was barred to compete in the primary elections by the constituency governor and the deputy district governor for Chikwawa central constituency who said they got instruction from the party’s regional Governor Charles Mchacha.

Bagus said: “I filled the nomination form and I was allowed to pay K100 000 as a nomination fee only to be denied to meet the electoral college by the constituency leaders.”

He was supposed to compete as member of Parliament for the same constituency on an opposition MCP ticket but left the party.

Bagus then added that he will announce his next move when he receive communication from DPP Secretariat having presented his concerns. 

In Chikwawa west constituency the primary elections were postponed as Susan Dosi who is challenging the incumbent MP Kennedy Maluwa accused him of getting people outside the constituency to vote .

In Chikwawa Nkombedzi Constituency where the incumbent MP Lyodi Malora is being challenged by Ben Khuleya the Primary elections were also postponed on similar grounds.

Meanwhile, DPP secretary general Greselder Jeffrey, who is also chairperson of the primary elections, said a 10-member committee will meet before the end of this month address all the queries made in the party’s primary elections.

She said: “We have received queries from all constituencies in the Southern Region except Phalombe South and Thyolo South West, that the elections were not fair. So, the committee will meet before January to come up with the decision if it will be necessary to conduct primary elections re-run or not.”

Among some constituencies where the primary elections did not go well are Chiradzulu East and Chiradzulu South, where the incumbents, who are also Cabinet ministers Henry Mussa and Joseph Mwanamvekha, respectively, were declared winners.

In a letter from Joseph Nomale, who lost to Mussa, dated December 21 addressed to the party secretary general, the aspirant asks the party to declare him winner of the primary elections.

Reads the letter in part: “I write to demand that, I, as winner be officially declared as a Democratic Progressive Party torchbearer for Chiradzulu East Constituency in the 2019 election. Democratic Progressive Party is a democratic party, let democracy prevail. If I am not assisted, I will have no choice but to seek legal redress.”

DPP started conducting primary elections in October this year starting with constituencies whose incumbent MP is DPP.

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