Malawi ruling DPP obtains court injunctions against newly registered party DEPECO

Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) through its legal advisor Charles Mhango has obtained a court injunction against a newly registered political party on the use of name and symbols.

Mlenga Mvula, Judiciary spokesperson confirmed the DPP has taken the court injunction against Democratic Progressive Congress (Depeco).

“They are saying the name resemble to that of the DPP and MCP so too are their symbols,” he said.

The DPP use a maize cob (christened as Chaponda) as its symbol while the new party has a shrub like a maize cob as a symbol.

The DPP has also sued the Attorney General Kalekeni Kaphale on the issue.

Mvula said this was normal because the Attorney General represents the registrar of political parties on all legal matters.

There are over 50 political parties registered in Malawi but the Malawi Electoral Commission says a handful participate in elections.

Mvula says the matter will go for a judicial review next week when the DPP and the new party will battle it out in the Lilongwe High Court.

Members of the new party are not known but observers say this is political; ball game by DPP to deflect people’s attention to the country’s social-economic woes and corruption scandal.