DPP, losing candidate fight in Kasungu over primary election’s results

All is not well in Kasungu’s political arena as the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is fighting its losing candidate Gerald Phiri in the Bunda – ward councilors’ primary elections’ results.

Malawi Electoral Commission is holding local government by-elections in Kasungu’s Bunda ward to replace the late councilor Bernard Theu who passed away in July this year according to Commissioner Killion M’gawi who launched the by-elections on Monday in the district.

M’gawi said the idea is to give constituents of Bunda Ward a platform to choose a person who could ably present developments issues of their areas to the council for solutions and the development of the district.

But  it has been embroiled in controversy as Phiri  30, who finished as the runner-up  with 260 votes against 290 of  the winner Philemon Theu  is going ahead with the elections by contesting in the November 1 ward councilors’ election as an independent candidate against the party’s policy which stipulates that the loser in any election must support the winner.

Phiri  who lost in 2014 on a United Democratic Front seat to the late councilor  Bernard Theu a DPP member  but now has joined the ruling party, alleges that Philemon Theu who is son to the deceased did not win the elections because he rigged with the help of party officials who during the polls played a role of presiding  officers, a claim the party has shot down as false news.

Speaking to MEC reporter in an interview on Wednesday Phiri claimed that the ruling party’s youth Director from its headquarters in Lilongwe , Kasungu district Governor Osward Chirwa, Kasungu Central Constituency Secretary Mike Katamathengo Dzombe, Constituency Governor Major Banda pretended doing a good job for all the five candidates including third placed Oscar Banda who chalked 27 votes and fourth positioned Maxwell Kuwanda who recorded a single vote and Ronald Tchuwa who also had a vote.

Phiri who had his face covered with cloth during voting,  claims his fans told him he finished top by sealing 290 votes with his counterpart Theu scoring 260  only to be shocked that the announcers  {the District Governor Chirwa and his colleagues overturned the results by awarding the top votes to his opposition after an alleged bribe.

He said even when everybody present was shocked  with what happened, his protest could not count as the top officials could not take his concerns.

Phiri said that was why with the blessings of his supporters he declared to contest as an independent candidate because the party showed no love by not listening to his appeal to nullify the results.

But Theu and Chirwa have dismissed the rigging and bribing  claims when interviewed yesterday saying the elections were done in a transparent manner with every candidate’s monitors around .

“It is hard to accept a defeat hence so many allegations, but I don’t fear him, let him contest as independent  candidate and  I will humiliate him  again,” said Theu .

Chirwa said Phiri was not a true son of DPP as he was a UDF defector hence he violated the party’s policy by failing to  assist the winner.

The District Governor said the party is ready to offer Phiri any top post or compensate him on what costs he incurred during the primary elections  than to go ahead contesting as an independent candidate because he was going to divide the votes.

DPP’S General Secretary Eckleni Kudontoni  in an interview also expressed shock at the development saying he will not allow the claimant to contest because his worry is that he would reduce number of votes Theu was supposed  to get at the polling day.

“Any way we have not yet received the grounds officially on why Phiri is doing that but we will discuss to let him change  the decision.” Said Kudontoni.

However, Phiri said he will not reverse his decision as he has already submitted his nomination form to the Kasungu Municipal Council after paying for everything.

Kasungu Municipal Council Chief Executive officer Stuart Ngoka confirmed in an interview that two candidates Patrick Mbale including Phiri had submitted the nomination forms.

“There was a small hiccup with Phiri’s nomination form to be sent back as it lacked a symbol of a   borehole(Mjigo) otherwise it’s something he has already  corrected,” said the CEO.

Meanwhile, Kasungu’s Catholic Commission for Peace and Justice (CCJP) Programmes’ Officer Hastings  Kalima has criticized DPP for lacking transparency  and leadership authority in the way they have handled the primary elections, saying by ignoring to hear the concerns of Phiri, it meant they already had a candidate in mind which is violating the rule of democracy.

He said by fighting Phiri to stop him from contesting as independent candidate the party is killing his right to take part in the governance of the country.

Malawi Congress Party, UDF are yet to hold their primary elections.

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