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Confusion in MCP primaries

Confusion marred Malawi Congress Party (MCP) primary elections in Salima North West Constituency yesterday where incumbent legislator Jessie Kabwila purportedly got two votes against Enock Phale’s 1 024.


Both MCP director of elections Elias Chakwera and publicity secretary the Reverend Maurice Munthali were undecided on the issue, but admitted challenges in the process.

Phale was declared winner yesterday


The elections took place at Kanjuli Primary School in Traditional Authority (T/A) Khomedza in Salima where delegates from 103 areas voted.
In a telephone interview, Phale said he emerged winner after the withdrawal of Kabwila at the eleventh hour.


But Kabwila, who boycotted the elections, branded the process as a sham and an insult to her followers and the MCP.


She held a press briefing yesterday morning outside Parliament Building in Lilongwe where she alleged that the election was illegal because constituency vice-chairperson Samson Kenneth had called for the primaries instead of the party’s directorate of elections, which is mandated to invite contestants as per MCP regulations and requirements.


Kabwila said she had dismissed her participation in the poll and travelled to Lilongwe reportedly for a Parliamentary Women’s Caucus meeting yesterday following MCP’s irregularities in announcing the date for primaries.


But presiding officer Peter Chalera proceeded with the primaries, despite Kabwila communicating her protest over the irregularities to the party’s director of elections.


In briefing journalists, she said: “I decided not to participate in the election, not that I am afraid of losing. But it is because these primaries are illegal.
“We cannot have communication from the constituency chairperson. That is not procedural.”


Kabwila stated that she notified the party’s director of elections on the irregularity around 11pm on Sunday, adding that she followed up by writing him in the morning yesterday, informing him of the flaws.


In a telephone interview, Chakwera acknowledged receiving an official complaint from Kabwila prior to voting time, a development which prompted him to order the postponement of the elections for the third time.


But he said he did not proceed with his earlier decision to call off elections because of conflicting information he received from the regional chairperson Augustine Chidzanja, who confirmed to him that all contestants were properly communicated to.


The handwritten and undated invitation, which The Nation has seen, was delivered to Kabwila last Saturday, two days before the primaries.
The Salima North West Constituency primaries were recently marred by verbal violence that erupted between Kabwila’s and Phale’s supporters.
Commenting on how the party intended to solve the problem, Chakwera said his office was confused on what to do next, considering communication he received from Chidzanja.


He said: “In the first place, I had the reaction that the election should be postponed because it was an ambush on Kabwila. Later, I got information that all candidates were communicated to, as I was consulting the regional chairperson. But I cannot say now what is going to happen because they all have a stand on the matter.”


On his part, Munthali also acknowledged in an interview that the party did not have any information that elections were taking place in the constituency.


According to Phale, there were 103 areas from where nine delegates from each area were drawn for voting. He said five areas were not present.

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