Mangochi North-East re-run ignites fresh hopes for other candidates
The nullification of the May 21 2019 parliamentary election results for Mangochi North-East has brought joy to the candidates who raced for the election, saying the impending re-run Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) will organise gives them an opportunity to compete fairly.
On Monday, 8th June 2020, the High Court of Malawi nullified results of the elections for the constituency which MEC declared Idi Kalosi of United Democratic Front (UDF) as a winner after amassing 8980 votes.
Coming second was an independent candidate, Martin Chikati Sekati, who is also known as Martin Nyengo who got 7053 votes.
However, the election, according to Sekati was marred by a plethora of irregularities, hence, he petitioned the court over this in which High Court Judge, Justice Joseph Chigona ruled in his favour.
In an interview after making the ruling, one of the candidates, Overton Imedi, who contested on the ticket of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and polled over 5000 votes praised the court for ordering a re-run, saying it will accord them chance to once again fight for the parliamentray seat.
“There were two candidates in the area that were parading as DPP despite the other one (Yusuf Mwechumu) being independent. This limited my chance of making it to parliament as we divided supporters,” he explained
Now that there will be another chance very soon which will be given to us; I take this as a golden opportunity to participate in the election and I am optimistic to win it,” added Imedi.
His counterpart, Martin Sekati, who is a petitioner of the case said he is “happy that the court has declared Mangochi North-East seat vacant”.
“I am certain that come the fresh by-election I am going to win just like what I have done by winning the court case,” he boasted.
Asked if he will appeal, Kalosi said he accepted the ruling and that he will not appeal; but challenged that he will retain his seat because he is development conscious, hence, his constituents cannot shrug him off.
Another Tumbuka judge nullifying elections
Stop your stupid tribal remarks you fool.We are all Malawians.
Sorry we don’t have chigona’s as surnames in the tribe of tumbuka. As him where he’s coming from if you have any hate with the tumbuka tribe and you can go to school and study law the door is open for every tribe including yours @arex😉😊.
kodi mtumbuka anakulakwila chani iwe munthu
The noisy Vuwa Kaunda will be next to be booted out of Parliament once the appeal case is concluded in SCA.The Ada Ralph Mhone case was a winnable one had it been that the presiding High Court Judge was impartial and objective.
Do not forget that Tonse Alliance will be in the government that time