Some Malawi Congress Party (MCP) parliamentary aspirants have cried foul over alleged irregularities in the party’s primary elections, which started in February this year.
The governing MCP has been conducting primary elections in several constituencies since February, but in some areas, candidates have disputed results.
For instance, in Lilongwe Bunda Constituency, contestants Edgar Chipalanjira and Mike Mambiya have filed complaints to the party, claiming that some of the people who voted were not delegates.
“After the fake delegates had already voted, we were alerted that some constituency leaders’ names were missing and they had to vote after ballots were taken into the counting room,” reads Chipalanjira’s complaint.
On his part, Mambiya said the constituency has 1 896 voters, but the total number of valid votes cast was 1 914.
Speaking in an interview yesterday, Webster Kameme, who lost in the MCP primary elections in Chitipa North Constituency, said the polls were a scam as party structures were disregarded and some members were not allowed to vote.
Kameme, who has since joined UTM Party, said he raised the issues with party officials at constituency, district and regional levels, but his concerns were disregarded.
He said: “In a multiparty dispensation, the worst thing you can do is to mismanage a primary election and impose a candidate because you end up pushing people to other parties.”
Allegations of irregularities were also raised in Dedza Linthipe Constituency where party members protested on February 28 2025 against the victory of Themuka Mkhwewu, claiming that they wanted Jacob Kaumphawi to be the party’s parliamentary candidate for the area.
Last month, MCP secretary general Richard Chimwendo told The Nation that the party was committed to conducting free and fair primary elections in all constituencies nationwide.
In an earlier interview, political analyst George Chaima advised political parties to allow voters to choose the candidates of their choice.
Meanwhile, opposition Democratic Progressive Party, United Democratic Front and People’s Party are also set to conduct their primary elections between this month and April.
Malawians head to the polls on September 16 2025 this year to elect a President, 229 members of Parliament and 509 ward councilors.
The Malawi Electoral Commission calendar shows nomination papers from both parliamentary and local government election candidates would be received in April and May 2025.
