Female aspirant complains of unfair treatment from party
A female parliamentary aspirant in Ntcheu has accused the opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) of frustrating her efforts to stand on the party ‘s ticket.
Lucy Lunguzi Mauluka, 48, who wanted to contest the primaries for Ntcheu Bwanje North Constituency, says she has since decided to contest as an independent candidate because it was clear that the party did not want her.
Speaking in Ntcheu on Thursday when the 50:50 Campaign Management Agency engaged female political aspirants from Dedza and Ntcheu, Mauluka told fellow aspirants that MCP even went ahead to conduct primaries without verifying the voters.
“I was not officially told that there would be primaries. I just heard from other people. I complained to the 50:50 Campaign Management Agency who assigned a lawyer to help me,” she said
On her part, Dedza Central East Constituency MCP female aspirant Rogean Connex Gondwe wondered why the party allows an MP to preside over an election.
“The MP is an interested party and when an MP is a contestant, he or she is likely to be favoured,” she said.
MCP spokesperson the Reverend Maurice Munthali says the party is aware of problems some aspirants face and it is working to resolve them.
ActionAid Malawi executive director Grace Malera said they are engaging political parties to discuss the concerns of female aspirants.
