Former Cabinet ministers Reen Kachere, Eunice Makangala and Sam Ganda failed to secure the People’s Party’s (PP) member of Parliament (MP) nominations for the May 20 Tripartite elections.
But it was smooth ride for the party’s vice-president and Minister of Transport Sidik Mia, Minister of Information Brown Mpinganjira and seasoned politician, Dr. Ken Lipenga.
Makangala lost to Mpinganjira’s son Chipiliro in a close contest. Makangala is challenging the results.
“I don’t want to comment on the results. I have filed a complaint and I am looking forward to the party’s response,” said Makangala in an interview when asked on her political future.
Kachere, who was dropped from Cabinet alongside Makangala, also said she was challenging the results.
Ganda, a former deputy minister, who donated an ambulance last week to a health centre in Nsanje Lalanje, lost to the new person on the political block, Lawrence Sitolo.
Musician-cum-politician Joseph Tembo defeated three other contenders to win the Chikhwawa North Constituency while youthful aspirant Ilyas Karim went unopposed in Chikhwawa South previously held by Tembo.
Bernadette Mlaka Maliro, incumbent MP for Chikhwawa Central, lost to the party’s organising secretary Salim Bagus while John Zingale will represent PP in Chikhwawa West.
Mclean Ndafakale got the party’s nod to represent Nsanje South West after seeing off four contenders.
Former MP Bertha Masiku returned to frontline politics after defeating her challenger, Ettinor Koloviko, in Blantyre City West.
Former Cabinet minister Richie Muheya will represent PP in Mulanje South while Ebbie Mathanda former UDF legislator received the party’s blessings to represent it in Mulanje Pasani.
The party on Friday reported that it abandoned the voting used in the North, Centre and East where every registered voter cast a vote, but The Nation has received reports that it was a free for all.
Msonda confirmed that the party reverted to the old system, arguing there were mechanisms to flush out ghost voters.
But concerned party supporters from Blantyre Malabada, who stormed The Nation newsroom yesterday, complained that the system compromised the credibility of the results.
The party’s returning officers stationed at Grace Bandawe Conference Centre in Blantyre were yet to officially announce the winners as they were entertaining complaints from losers.
