MCP primary polls end in chaos, officials run for their lives in Dedza

A house is said to have been destroyed whilst vehicles were destroyed on Wednesday forcing main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) officials run for their lives in Dedza north where the party wanted to impose an incumbent member of parliament on the people.

Credible sources say the party came to Dedza to impose Patrick Chilondola, a close ally and confidante of party president Lazarus Chakwera but people wanted their own preferred candidate a Mr. Kafwafwa.

Chilondola came with people in trucks whom the people said were ferried from Mchinji and Lilongwe in order to vote for him but people were angry with the “rigging” and stoned the party officials who had come to conduct the elections.

MCP officials were reluctant to comment on the matter but sources who went there said the angry MCP supporters have destroyed Chilondola’s house in the area.

Political commentators have faulted the MCP for its tendency of imposing candidates on the people, saying this time around, the party will pay the price with the coming in of the vibrant opposition on the political scene, the United Transformation Movement (UTM).

Thoughtful political commentator Humphrey Mvula said the MCP has made a political mistake by holding the primary elections earlier than other parties, saying the losers would likely defect to other parties.

MCP has forced all the candidates who are participating in the primary elections to sign a pact so that they do not  to defect to other parties   but Mvula said the document is not legally binding and can be challenged as it is against the tenets of freedom of association enshrined in the Republican Constitution.

At least 10 people were injured during the fracas and were  rushed to hospital after the party unilaterally declared winner in the primary polls.