Rights activists take Ras Chikomeni nomination papers rejection to court

February 8, 2019 Owen Khamula -Nyasa Times 44 Comments

Centre for Human Rights, Education and Advice (Chrea) says it will seek legal redress in the courts on behalf of Ras David Chikomeni Chirwa after the Malawi Electoral Commission rejected his nomination papers on Wednesday.

Chrea takes Ras Chikoneni matter to court
Chikomemi presenting his papers to Ansah

Chrea deputy director Chikondi Chizozi said the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) was wrong to reject Chikomeni’s nomination papers.

“The rejection is unfair. We will now seek legal advice. Most of Malawians cannot afford the K2 million nomination fee. A lot of Malawians live below their salaries, they live below the poverty line,” said Chizozi.

MEC also rejected the nomination of Chikomeni as presidential candidate in the May 21 elections because he failed to amass the 10 signatures per districts to endorse him as a candidate.

Chikomeni said as much as MEC has the right to raise nomination fees, it has to consider poor people.

Chikomeni said he could not give the K2 million to MEC because he was too poor to raise the money and failed to amass the signatures because he did not have the money to travel to all the districts to get the needed signatures

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44 replies on “Rights activists take Ras Chikomeni nomination papers rejection to court”

  1. Ladies and gentlemen why cant’s APM donate the MK2m to Chiokomeni out of the billions he has stolen from us? On the other note, can you see that politics of tribes is coming into play? The activist who is taking this matter to court is from the North, defending Chikomeni Chirwa a Northerner. SKC will stop this nonsense.

  3. Each community has its own standards and norms. This is nothing to do with poverty but with society normas

    1. Still, the norms and standards in our society, where the majority of people can hardly afford the necessities for live, should be orientate to serve the most of us! Unfortunately our leaders are all from a rich elite and there is nobody from the grassroots in the decision making circles !
      This results finally in our poor puplic sector services, like hospitals, schools and all the other puplic offices and institutions,
      because the elite have the money to go corrupt or private or abroad !

  4. Bingu waMutharika was penniless when he joined politics. Those who knew him around Bunda Taverns will testify to that. Look at what he amassed in few years!
    Even Chikomeni as a poor man should be allowed to contest! The act is unjust and the constitution of the land allows David Chikomeni Chirwa to submit his papers.
    For the sake of justice, let him be given a chance in his poverty. MEC will loose nothing anyway!

  7. Mec igwire ntchito yake ,sizolakwika kukhala ndi ndalama yolipira kuti munthu aimire chifukwa zimupatsa udindo.Akhala ndi mtima odziwa kuti waluza zake .Chikomeni akapeza ndalama aimira,komanso masinetcha ndiofunika,utsogoleri wa dziko si unyakwawa abale.

  8. Ma activistwa nawonso asowa ntchito. Akufuna pophunzilira kuyimilira milandu. Pali nkhani apa yoti ikokedwe.

  9. Ruling a country is not an easy thing like open a Facebook account. There are conditions that have to be met and has nothing to do with human rights it has to do with normal acceptable procedures whether they were followed or not and not based on somebody’s identity. Its these institutions like this one that create problems in a country over something straightforward just to make a name for themselves. Very bad

  10. I wonder if these activists really know what they are supposed to do or fight for. Really? you are going to court for this, yet you know that MEC was upfront with everybody, what is it that is needed for someone to qualify as a presidential candidate? You guys are disgrace to our nation. Go ahead, go fight for a losing battle.

  11. Kodi bwa Chikondi Chizozi wavala chipewa cha uloya, ngati ali mu khoti olo akupitako kapena kubwelerako? Bwa, kachiwiri?
    Kuonesa, olo kuziona kuti ndi dolo (show off), olo kusazindikila m’mene zinthu zimayendela pa “professionalism”? Ma Loya a pa Chanco!
    Koma kwathu kuno ku Malawi ziliko eh!

  13. So a poor man is not allowed to contest as a president but is expected to vote? Very unfortunate!

  14. Am I the only one seeing inconsistencies in how we conduct elections? Why demand 10 signatures per district when we rejected the proposal that the winner of presidential elections amass a certain percentage of votes per region? If I feel I may not gets votes in some districts why force me to get signatures in those districts. We really need to review this requirement.

    1. That’s why ndimanena kuti school ya ku Malawi siyimathandiza. We apply the books written in Europe not the practical reality on the ground. Palibe muthu wophunzila wa ku Malawi anapangapo apply zithu practically. Look even in parliament timalakhula chizungu chokha chokha yet 70% of the voters don’t follow the proceedings. In China a Malakhula chawo, In SA there are 12 official languages where by any one can use any language. We need to decolonise the whole system. If you look at the lawyers pa pic po avala wig ya white showing the legacy of Colonisation.

      2. I agree with you ndipo amalawi ziwatengela nthawi to realise kuti azungu amatipusitsa.Imagine amafika point yonena kuti so so ndiwa life yachizungu.Meaning he or she leads a high life . Azungu osawuka komanso ama drugs Ali mbwee Ku US .Dzuka Malawi dzuka

  15. Why taking it to court when Ras says he acknowledges the flows in his papers and wants to rectify them?

  17. Chrea will lose the case outright. If Chikomeni failed to travel to all the districts to get signatures, how will he manage to campaign in the whole country? This is just a waste of time and MEC is justified to reject his nomination papers. We mist learn to follow the rules of the game. If Manchester United plays against Karonga United the rules of the game will not be bent in order to give advantage to Karonga United, they will apply in the same way Man U would play against Barcelona or any renowned football team elsewhere.

    1. You dont have to travel to all the districts to campaign. This is a technological era. People in the villages use boom soap, that does not mean BOO SOAP visited every district to campaign

  18. CHREAA has money to waste . Chikomen knows the requirement for one to participate in elections. Pay out or bust out. We dont need certified poor candidates to lead our country.

    1. That’s wrong,poverty cannot stop chikomeni to stand as the President why people loves to vote crooks is it by wealth or looks?these crooks only needs u when time for votes is near after you votes where do they put you?It’s time Malawi to work up give raster the chance he will build a better nation and he will have all support it takes from other countries. Malawi country is so luck to have him and don’t judge him because his a raster or he smokes weed,He have brought a great history in world wide that it will still be in the books entirely. Chikomeni wherever you are don’t be shaken God himself knows big up

  21. Inde abale mthandizeni Kodi mukufuna olemera okhaokha basi yiiiii a meki mwanyanya mwatonyanya mbwiyache

  22. Malawi anchors on the global food chain, we have alot to work and it starts with us being serious in all we do, this CSO would rather start taking government to court for not providing enough solutions to protect the albinos who are being butchered, they would rather focus on the rights of refugees, focus on the rights of children being abused, child labor among others. We as a nation we don’t need to waste time on people like Ras who we all know he seeks change because he sees and feels the pain on the failure of the current government but is he the savior to bring change? He smokes weed and are we going to be led by someone who is under influence of dangerous drugs? Should we let the western world stop him for us? Cmon! Save the nation from this useless drama.let’s move on to real issues

    2. Most of those in government are also into weed and drugs and they have been ruling us all this while. THEY ARE MORE DANGEROUS THAN RAS. I mean come on. He may not be the right candidate but don’t assume those ruling us are sane people.

    1. This Office requires people who will not get there and attempt to enrich themselves. They must be financially sound before taking the oath..That is why in America you need to be financially sound to start a campaign using own funds….centre for human rights – defend real issues in the country !!!

      1. YOU ARE VERY DUMB AND STUPID!
        KAMUZU WAS RICH BUT STOLE OUR BILLIONS.
        BAKILI MULUZI WAS RICH BUT HE STOLE OUR 1.7 BILLION.
        BINGU WA MUTHARIKA WAS RICH BUT HE WENT TO THE GRAVE WITH OUR 236 BILLION KWACHA.
        JOYCE BANDA WAS RICH BUT SHE STOLE OUR 24 BILLION.
        PETER MUTHARIKA IS RICH BUT HE CONTINUES TO STEAL OUR HARD EARNED BILLIONS.
        So what the Hell are talking about, you Rat?

      2. But we have had such people and they amassed ridiculous wealth at the expense of the poor tax paying Malawians. There has been an increased poverty and gap between the rich and poor so what will be the difference? If we have a poor person and they enrich themselves at least we are one poor person less and i bet it will not be only him. His friends and relatives will also be rich so we will be herding on a right direction in poverty reduction. Za pa Malawi ndi zogawana asamangodya anthu amodzimodzi komanso olemera. Let the poor feast as well.

      3. Fair enough. Please do explain the rational behind the “economically sound ones” who are currently dipping their fingers in the public purse? Dennis.

      4. Nanunso inu, who among Malawi former presidents went into government when he was already rich!! Nde mukufuna kunamiza ndani apa!! Our laws have been exposed big time this year by chikomeni……….! Its time our laws started to be fare, osakhala izi zokopela sentence by sentence za ku America zanuzo……….! Mxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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