The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has announced its decision to adhere to a recent court ruling and remove former Vice President Cassim Chilumpha from the presidential ballot in the country’s upcoming general elections.
Earlier this month, a High Court in Malawi ordered the Commission to remove Chilumpha from its list of presidential candidates, after he was nominated to contest by the Tikonze People’s Movement (TPM).
Chilumpha’s party later filed a motion to relieve him of its nomination and ticket, going forward into the elections, disclosing that 9 out of its 13 members did not approve Chilumpha’s nomination papers before they were submitted to the MEC.
The electoral umpire reacted to the order on Monday, through a statement signed by its Chief Elections Officer, Sam Alfandika, saying: “The facts of the matter are that TPM lodged a petition with the High Court of Malawi seeking an order that the candidate, Chilumpha, cannot rightfully represent it as a candidate for election as president of the Republic of Malawi.”
“By judgment, dated 11th April 2019, the Court decided that Rt. Hon. Dr. Chilumpha, SC., cannot be on the ballot as a candidate sponsored by TPM on grounds that he was not elected as presidential candidate for TPM and was not being sponsored as such by TPM in the forthcoming Presidential election.”
There was also a case of the person who counter-signed the former vice president’s nomination papers, a vital part of the party’s case against its candidate, as it claims the person involved was not qualified to sign off on the nomination.
“Pursuant to the requirements of the law that governs nomination of candidates for presidential elections, the implication of the above Court’s decision is that Rt. Hon. Dr. Chilumpha’s nomination has been rendered invalid.”
The statement further said: “The Commission has, therefore, struck off his name from the list of candidates duly nominated for election for the office of the President of the Republic of Malawi.”
Chilumpha’s delisting brings down the number of candidates vying for presidency to just 7, following the decision by former President Joyce Banda to withdraw from the race and throw her weight behind Malawi Congress Party’s Lazarus Chakwera.
The people of Malawi are set to elect a leader from a pool of options that includes its current President and Vice President, on May 21.
