Mbakuwaku pens MEC over changing of running mates: ‘Mutharika, Chakwera against court order’

Mbakuwaku Movement for Development (MMD) has written Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) seeking the pollster’s justification to allow President Peter Mutharika and Lazarus Chakwera to participate in the forthcoming fresh presidential election with different running mates other than the ones they contested with in the May 2019 elections.

Peter Sinusi Driver Kuwani of Mbakuwaku :  Pens MEC

MMD presidential torchbearer Peter Dominico Sinosi Driver Kuwani argues in a letter dated 26 May 2020 that the consequential directions and recommendations from the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal (MSCA) do not provide for the changing of running mates; hence, what Mutharika and Chakwera did to drop their initial running mates is against the law.

Kuwani has maintained his running mate Archibald Kalawang’oma while Mutharika – who is also the leader of the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) – has picked Atupele Muluzi of the United Democratic Front (UDF) following the forging of an electoral alliance early this year.

On the other hand, Chakwera – who is the torchbearer for the mega Malawi Congress Party (MCP), settled for State Vice President and leader of UTM party, Saulos Klaus Chilima, in a mega alliance that has pooled nine political parties together to unseat the current regime.

But Kuwani claims that Mutharika and Chakwera changed their running mates in a desperate move to secure 50+1 votes to avoid a rerun in the event that no candidate secure majority votes.

“It is apparent that the deemed presidential candidates X and Z were strategizing for the 50 + 1 voting system; hence, forfeiture of their 21 May 2019 running mates whom they felt could not bring the required numbers. However, in an event of a rerun in fulfillment of the 50 + 1 voting system, candidates are only permitted to forge alliances outside the legally binding candidature as opposed to roping in new running mates (swapping of candidature is not permitted)….fresh presidential election will not run away from the practice of a rerun since fresh election is just a repeat of the electoral process sanctioned as a consequence of irregularities,” reads part of the letter MMD has addressed to MEC chief elections officer, Samy Alfandika.

Kuwani argues that by allowing Chakwera and Mutharika to change their running mates, MEC had acted against the legal standing of Section 80 (3) and 80 (4) of the Malawi Constitution.

He wonders whether Chakwera and Mutharika could be allowed to change their Vice Presidents in the event that they were duly elected in the annulled election.

“In an event of victory on 21 May 2019 presidential election, would the presidential candidates have legal standing for replacing their First Vice President with a person of his choice who contested as a presidential candidate or running mate during the 21 May 2019 presidential election?” asks Kuwani.

He concludes by urging MEC to objectively validate the presidential candidates based on facts, the point of law and MSCA consequential directions and recommendations as contained in the judgment of May 8 2020.

MEC is yet to respond to the letter, but Justice Link executive director Justin Dzonzi said recently that Chakwera and Mutharika had not breached any law by settling for pairing with different personalities in the forthcoming poll.

Dzonzi added that Chilima – who also contested in the May 21 2019 presidential election – was within his rights to drop his ambitions for the presidency to stand alongside Chakwera in the poll.

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hambakahle kamdidi
hambakahle kamdidi
3 years ago

This is the most ignorant guy. Such people cannot be leaders. He just can’t understand that this is a fresh election? This is not a re-run!

Suzgo
Suzgo
3 years ago

I choose to disagree with you on fresh/rerun point of the forthcomkng presidential elections. We’re not going to have fresh elections because no new candidates and voters are allowed. Therefore, it’s a rerun. Fresh elections would’ve accepted new candidates and new registration of voters to make it FRESH.

Love malawi
Love malawi
3 years ago

Akuwani bwanji osangopita kumudzi ukatema nawo nzimbe achemawali zogulitsa. Mwasowa cholankhulatu. What about taxation if you dont want to go home

SB Chinji
SB Chinji
3 years ago

The whole judgment from the lower court to the supreme court of appeal is just a total mockery.The word incompetent by the judges is good or strong enough to nullify the entire 2019 election. The courts have contradicted themselves in saying that the very incompetent commissioners were competent enough to hold and administer legible parliamentary and municipality elections at the same time period. If these commissioners were incompetent, why are the parliamentary and local government results still standing? In a re-run, the politicians have been allowed to change their goalposts and strategies to the detriment of the newly qualifying voters… Read more »

ANA ACHEPA
ANA ACHEPA
3 years ago

mmmmm kkkkkk ma cadet enanso awa…..chonchi kumati mudzakhale mtsogoleri??? Awa ndi achimelilenji sakusiyana

Danmak
Danmak
3 years ago

Kodi osangoyamba u comedian bwanji rather than taking media space on politics

Ikh
Ikh
3 years ago

The running mates appear on one ballot paper. I guess change of running mate changes the candidate. Moreover a candidate is not complete without running mate.

Jose
Jose
3 years ago

Inu musataye nthawi ya a malawi opikisana ndi presidential candidate amene malamulo amati ali ndi ufulu wosankha omutsatira.mwaonapo candidate wanyowani. Two chilima adapikisananawo mu 2019. Funso kodi presdidential candidate atati runningmate wake wasiya kapena wafa amukakamiza kapena kuyimira kapena atafa MEC inena kuti paja sitikulora kusintha runningmate ndiye pakhala opanda runningmate.Koma ngati president atafa mwina runningmate atha kukhala president monga constitution imanena kuti president akafa wadziko vice amakhala president ndipo amasankha vice chimodzimodzinso apa atha kukhala torch bearer ndi kusankha running mate watsopano.komaso mwina ndiye kuti chipani chimenecho chitha kugwa nayo popeza sichingabweretse candidate wanyowani molingana ndi chigamulo cha supreme… Read more »

Koma inu
Koma inu
3 years ago

If someone who has reached the age that he can vote now is denied to register to vote simply on the point that this is a rerun, then the running mate should be the same because it is just rerun of what happened last year with the same candidates. The 50+1 does not even need to be introduced here. It was not applied in the last year’s election. If a soccer game is played for 90 mins, a re-run needs to be also played for 90 mins not 70 minutes just because the other team will get tired quickly. Everything… Read more »

Sato
Sato
3 years ago

Eeeeee kalatayo anakauzanso a MEC kuti amene anavotera party A B C D adzavotenso chimodzimodzi. Kutumidwa kwinaku muphala nako njerwa zamoto.

Moya
Moya
3 years ago

These are agents of the devil, knowingly or unknowingly. Malawi doesn’t need these people

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