Vote of no confidence for former Nkhata Bay MPs
Voters in Nkhata Bay have expressed a vote of no confidence in five of the six former legislators who represented the district’s constituencies in Parliament.
Former minister of Labour Youth, Sports and Manpower Development Grace Chiumia is among the casualties after losing to her long-time challenger Crispin Chanju Mphande of UTM Party.
Unofficial results show that Chiumia of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) amassed 2 504 votes against Mphande’s 3 867. Malawi Congress Party’s Manda came third with 1 695 votes.
Also facing a vote of no confidence to return to the August House are People’s Party (PP) vice-president (North) Ralph Mhone and UTM’s Emily Chinthu Phiri.
Mhone lost to former presidential adviser on youth Symon Vuwa-Kaunda in Nkhata Bay Central while Chinthu-Phiri lost to MCP’s Kenneth Zikhale Ng’oma in Nkhata Bay South. Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Ephraim Mganda Chiume failed to defend Nkhata Bay North Constituency which he lost to UTM’s Chrissie Kanyasho.
In Nkhata Bay North West Constituency, independent shadow MP Commodius Nyirenda also failed to defend the seat as DPP’s Julius Chione Mwase triumphed in a contest that had 10 aspirants.
On the other hand, DPP’s Eta Elizabeth Banda failed to unseat PP’s Noah Freeman Chimpeni who has retained the parliamentary seat in Nkhata Bay South East Constituency.
This means UTM and DPP have two members of Parliament each in the district while PP and MCP have one each.
The district had 106 074 registered voters.
In an interview, Nkhata Bay district commissioner Rodney Simwaka expressed satisfaction with the way the elections were conducted in the district despite receiving some complaints.
“As a district, our job is to receive those complaints and forward them to the Malawi Electoral Commission’s main tally centre in Blantyre where they have a desk for complaints,” he said.
