MCP’s Msungama receives death threats over poll rerun

As battle of who is the legitimate winner of Lilongwe City South East Constituency rages on, it has emerged that the Malawi Congress Party (MCP)  candidate, Ulemu Msungama is receiving death threats through short messages and phones calls.

Recently, the High Court in Lilongwe ordered the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to conduct fresh elections in Lilongwe City South East constituency where Msungama challenged the results which Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Bently Namasasu was declared winner.

Making its determination on Tuesday October 29, the High Court judge Esmie Chombo ruled that the electoral body should conduct fresh polls to accord Lilongwe City South East constituents opportunity to have a representative of their choice in parliament.

Namasasu has gone to court to challenge the rerun ruling.

Speaking to a battery of reporters on Thursday, Msungama said soon after the court ruling, different people have been using unknown numbers to threaten him that they would deal with him and even be “Chasowa-ed”  if he does not drop the case.

“For example just today (Thursday) I have received seven phone calls threatening me to drop the case. These functionaries have been using different phone numbers in issuing these threat,” said Msungama.

But Msungama said he is not afraid of a threat to kill him.

“I don’t care for the threat , these are cowards and anti-democracy,” he said.

When MCP pressed for vote recount the MEC warehouse was gutted with fire which was suspected to have been caused by regime agents.

MEC also said that it was not ruling out arson and asked the Inspector General of the Malawi Police Service to institute appropriate investigations.

The fire, among several materials, destroyed 2,400 ballot boxes which some contained ballot papers for the Lilongwe City South East.