Supreme Court further pends LL election rerun
The Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal yesterday extended a stay order against High Court judge Esme Chombo’s ruling for a rerun in the Lilongwe City South-East Constituency parliamentary elections until an appeal is heard.
In October last year, Chombo ordered Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to conduct fresh parliamentary elections in the constituency after Malawi Congress Party (MCP) candidate, Ulemu Msungama, disputed the results which declared Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Bentley Namasasu winner.
Namasasu challenged the decision and sought an interim order in the Supreme Court which appeal judge Richard Chinangwa granted.
Yesterday, Chinangwa ruled that the stay order should remain in force, according to Namasasu’s lawyer, Chancy Gondwe.
Said Gondwe: “The ruling means that my client[Namasasu] will remain the MP of the area until the appeal is heard whose date we are yet to get.”
Lawyer representing Msungama, John-Gift Mwakhwawa, refused to comment on the ruling, especially about his next move.
Msungama, among others, queried the disproportionate number of null and void votes and shortage of 100 ballot papers which were unaccounted for.
In the election held on May 20 2014, Namasasu got 10 956 votes against Msungama’s 10 854, a difference of 98.
