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Presidential hopefuls hit 20

Two more presidential aspirants have collected nomination papers to contest in the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections bringing the number of hopefuls for the top office to 20.

Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) spokesperson Sangwani Mwafulirwa said in an interview yesterday the latest to collect the papers are novices Florence Fulayi and Rhodrick Makhambera who are seeking to occupy the State House on independent tickets.

Facing 19 challengers so far: Mutharika

In its update issued yesterday, MEC also said out of the 20 who have collected the forms ahead of presentation scheduled for between February 4 and 8, 12 aspirants are representing political parties, seven are independent candidates and one is representing a coalition.

The two aspirants have joined incumbent President Peter Mutharika of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Lazarus Chakwera (Malawi Congress Party), Joyce Banda (People’s Party), serving Vice-President Saulos Chilima (UTM), Atupele Muluzi (United Democratic Front), Enock Chihana (Alliance for Democracy) and John Chisi of Umodzi Party.

Others are former vice-president Cassim Chilumpha leading Tikonze People’s Movement—a coalition of six minor political parties, Chris Daza of Democratic People’s Congress, Peter Kuwani (Mbakuwaku Movement for Development), Chimbuna Belekiah (United Independence Party), Sally Kumwenda Yadwad (Leadership with Compassion) and Loudon Malingamoyo Phiri of National Salvation Front.

Henry Jailos Mdebwe, Smart Swira, Pastor Baxter Boyd Natulu, Ras Chikomeni David Chirwa and Reverend D.H. Kaliya complete the list of independent aspirants.

Each aspirant is expected to pay K2 million to participate in the elections.

According to MEC, all the presidential aspirants are collecting their nomination papers from the chief elections officer at MEC head office in Blantyre.

Aspiring candidates in parliamentary and Local Government races on political party tickets are collecting their papers through their party secretaries general or any officer designated to do so while the independent candidates are collecting them from their respective constituency returning officers (CROs), district commissioners or chief executives.

“All persons with disabilities need to get a letter from the Federation of Disability Organisations in Malawi to qualify for the 50 percent discount on nomination fees. This letter should be attached to the nomination paper during submission,” reads the MEC statement.

MEC opened the nomination forms’ collection exercise on January 3 and will continue up to February 8 while the submission of the papers will start on February 4 to 8 2019 with Parliamentary and Local Government Elections candidates presenting theirs to their respective CROs while presidential candidates will submit to MEC at Comesa Hall in Blantyre.

About 6.8 million Malawians are expected to vote on May 21 to elect a President, 193 members of Parliament (MPs) and 462 ward councillors.

There were 12 presidential candidates in the May 20 2014 Tripartite Elections out of which Mutharika, Chakwera, Banda, Chisi and Muluzi are set to appear on the ballot again. Chilima also appeared on the 2014 presidential ballot paper as Mutharika’s runningmate.

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