UTM goes to court for poll annulment

UTM Party, which trailed third in presidential election, has gone to the High Court in Blantyre to ask for the annulment of the whole tripartite election.

Lawyers for the new party were spotted at the High Court in Blantyre on Monday.

UTM publicity secretary Joseph Chidanti Malunga confirmed that the party wants the High Court to order the annulment of the election.

The lawyers were at the court when 365 kilometres away in Lilongwe, Justice Charles Mkandawire was ruling that the court injunction obtained by the opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) be vacated so that the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) can announce the winner of the presidential poll.

UTM decision to ask for the annulment of the highly contentious poll comes at a time when there has been  widespread allegations of manipulation of votes in favour of President Peter Mutharika and his ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

President of UTM, outgoing State vice president Saulos Chilima, called at the weekend for results to be annulled over “serious anomalies” reported during the count.

Third-placed Chilima, who debuted on the presidential ballot polled 1 018 369 votes or 20.24 percent, was a member of the ruling party but quit last year to form the youth-focused UTM while staying on as vice-president.

Under Malawi law, the president cannot fire the vice-president.

With Mutharika re-elected for another five years, his running mate Everton Hebert Chimulirenji will now be the State vice-president replacing Chilima.