Battle lines are drawn between former governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and some parliamentary hopefuls that have not secured the party’s ticket and declared to stand as independents in the September 16 General Election.
DPP secretary general Peter Mukhito has since warned that those aspirants harbouring independent ticket thoughts that they risk expulsion from the party.
Mangochi Central legislator Victoria Kingstone, Chikwawa Central parliamentarian Salim Bagus, Thyolo East lawmaker
Masauko White—who was vying for the DPP ticket in Luchenza Municipality and Machinga Likwenu aspirant Jane Mandeule have announced that they will run as independent.
In an interview, Kingstone said she protested against the removal of long-serving delegates as well as dismissal of the constituency governor before the primaries.
The legislator pulled out of the primaries where she faced former Malawi Revenue Authority deputy commissioner general Roza Fatch Mbilizi.
“I have decided to run on an independent ticket and I believe I will win. However, I will also
be campaigning for the DPP and party president Peter Mutharika for the presidential election,” said Kingstone. Mandeule, who is DPP deputy director of women for the Eastern Region, alleged that delegates were intimidated and subjected to violence during the primaries in Machinga Likwenu where DPP vice-president for Eastern Region Bright Msaka won.
In Luchenza Municipal Constituency, Thyolo South West member of Parliament (MP) Chimwemwe Chipungu was declared DPP candidate after Thyolo East legislator Masauko White dropped out of the primary election.
White said in an interview yesterday that there were disagreements on the composition
of the electoral college, but his concerns were not resolved by the party leadership.
“I decided not to take part in the elections and I will contest as an independent candidate even though I am still a DPP member,” he said.
It was a similar situation in Chikwawa Central where incumbent legislator Salim Bagus withdrew from the race and declared he would run on an independent ticket.
Speaking in an interview yesterday, he said he boycotted the pr imar y elec t ions because they were marred by intimidation of voters and changes in names of delegates.
In 2019, Bagus won as an independent candidate but in Parliament he was sitting on the government side before the court-sanctioned fresh presidential election held on June 23 2020 that ousted DPP from power.
Mukhito has warned DPP members intending to stand as independents in the parliamentary race that they would be flouting Article 24 (2) (u) of the DPP constitution.
In a statement yesterday, he said the party’s constitution is clear that any member who decides to run as an independent candidate in any election shall cease to be a member.
“We urge all members to consider their decisions carefully and remain committed to the principles and objectives that bind us together in our pursuit of a prosperous and democratic nation,” said Mukhito.
In other primaries, incumbent Gladys Ganda reclaimed the Nsanje Lalanje Constituency ticket while DPP regional governor for the South Charles Mchacha won in Thyolo Bvumbwe-Masenjere Constituency as did DPP vice-president for the South Joseph Mwanamvekha in Chiradzulu Thumbwe where incumbent MP Joseph Nomale boycotted over alleged irregularities.
Political analyst Ernest Thindwa, an expert in electoral and identity politics, told The Nation recently that unfair and manipulated procedures in primaries undermine parties’ abilities to identify the most appealing candidates.
“In worst case scenarios, disgruntled contestants may opt to stand as an independent candidate further splitting the party’s votes in a constituency,” he said.
Perceptions of manipulation and favouritism in the conduct of primaries have over the years seen an increase in the number of independent legislators in Parliament as losing candidates in primaries have tended to go solo.
The trend has seen the growth of independent legislators in the 193-seat National Assembly from zero in the first post-independence multiparty general elections in May 1994 to 33 in 2009, 52 in 2014 and 55 in 2019.
