Court orders MEC to use old voters roll in Mangochi by-elections
The High Court in Blantyre has ordered the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to conduct November 10, 2020 by-elections in Mangochi North-East and West constituencies using same older voters’ roll and maintain the candidates that competed in the annulled elections of May 21 2019.
This follows an injunction an independent candidate for Mangochi North-East, Martin Nyengo obtained, restraining MEC from conducting new registration and also allowing new candidates to contest.
Nyengo, through his lawyer, Chimwemwe Kalua took the injunction, two weeks ago after MEC had just started conducting a fresh registration in all the places where the by-elections are taking place.
High Court Judge, Joseph Chigona granted Nyengo the court relief today.
According to Kalua, Chigona has ruled in favour of his client, Nyengo, saying MEC needs to apply the same formula it used during the Fresh Presidential Elections (FPE) when conducting the by-elections.
“I am very happy with the judgment because my client’s concern has been vindicated. Actually, the judgment applies to all the two constituencies in Mangochi because we consolidated the issues of the two constituencies into one case,” he said.
When asked, MEC spokesperson, Sangwani Mwafulirwa said the commission will sit down and see what it should do regarding the elections following the court order.
“The commission is set to meet very soon and chart the way forward. But we will be continuing doing everything that leads to the elections including receiving of nomination papers from the candidates as we are doing right now,” he said.
