By Wadza Botomani
The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has mandated parliamentary re-elections in four constituencies where the electoral process was compromised by candidate deaths, legal disputes, and procedural violations.
MEC Chairperson Justice Annabel Mtalimanja, speaking from the National Tally Centre at BICC on Monday, confirmed the Commission’s resolve to uphold electoral integrity and announced a target of Tuesday, September 30, to finalize the announcement of all parliamentary results.
The constituencies requiring a fresh poll are Blantyre West, Nkhotakota Liwaladzi, Dedza Mtakataka, and Lilongwe Mtandire-Mtsiriza.
In Blantyre West, the election was suspended due to the tragic death of MCP candidate Michael Isaac Chisala. The elections in Nkhotakota Liwaladzi and Dedza Mtakataka were paused after separate court petitions were filed by candidates Daniel Binda and Dr. Charles Sandramu, respectively, challenging MEC’s initial rejection of their nomination papers.
A significant procedural breach led to the nullification of results in Lilongwe Mtandire-Mtsiriza. Justice Mtalimanja explained that invalid votes were opened at the district council, contravening strict MEC protocols.
“All invalid votes must be processed through a proper procedure. In this case, they were opened at the district council, which violates our rules. Consequently, the Commission has resolved to conduct a fresh election in the constituency,” the Chairperson affirmed.
