Chiefs join calls for Malawi to hold fresh tripartite elections: President, MPs and Councillors

Some traditional leaders from Kasungu, Mangochi, Mzimba and Lilongwe have declared their support for concerned citizens who are calling for fresh tripartite in accordance with the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) ruling in the high profile presidential election case.

The ConCourt annulled the presidential elections, citing widespread and glaring irregularities in last year’s polls as some of the grounds for calling for a fresh presidential poll.

But the chiefs, who were led by Inkosana Mtenje Ntchawaka Jere, told journalists in Lilongwe on Sunday argued that since members of Parliament (MPs) and councillors benefited from the same Tippex-ed and irregular election, it could be only fair that fresh tripartite be held to ensure Malawi has leaders whose election is not questioned.

“We are not happy that the court did not find it necessary to extend the ruling to the Parliamentary and Local Government Elections because they, too, were elected on the same day and using the same resources. We feel like it’s unfair to only punish the president while leaving MPs and councillors who won their seats on through the same election,” he said.

The presser came barely a few hours before the High Court in Lilongwe starts hearing a case in which 185 concerned citizens are pleading with court to nullify the Parliamentary and Local Government Elections in accordance with the ConCourt ruling of February 3, 202, which annulled the presidential poll.

Frank Kuyokwa is leading the Concerned Citizens.

Group Village Head (GVH) Chindamba warned that, should the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) proceed to hold the fresh presidential election only, he would mobilize his subjects to boycott the vote.

Spokesperson for the Concerned Citizens, Prince Chokhotho Malunga Mboma, said they are using the same ConCourt judgment in the presidential election as their ground for moving the High Court to nullify the Parliamentary and Local Government Elections.

Mboma said the grouping is optimistic that the court will agree with and call for fresh tripartite elections.

A few days ago, Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) also backed calls for the court to nullify the Parliamentary and Local Government Elections, saying that is the best way to reconcile the nation.

HRCC chairperson Robert Mkwezalamba therefore pleaded with President Peter Mutharika to consider firing Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Commissioners and call for fresh tripartite elections within 150 days as stipulated by the Constitutional Court (ConCourt).

Mkwezalamba said reconstituting MEC and calling for fresh tripartite elections is the solution to the prevailing political and constitutional crisis in Malawi.

He said it remains a mystery where over 35 electoral cases ended up with MEC successfully defending over 28 of its decisions.

“Whereas Malawi is a constitutional order and our learned judges found MEC incompetent, it follows even that all its pronouncements require being nullified on the basis of such incompetency. It remains common knowledge that the same incompetency they executed presidential polls applied to MPs and councilors,” he said.