MEC allows disqualified candidates to contest
The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) yesterday announced that it has allowed all candidates that were disqualified on the basis of being viewed as public officers to contest the May 20 Tripartite Elections.
In a statement issued yesterday, the electoral body said it met on April 2 2014 to review recent High Court rulings on disqualified candidates.
Reads the statement in part: “The commission observed that the rulings made by judges Mike Tembo, Dunstain Mwaungulu and Dorothy Nyakaunda Kamanga contradicted each other particularly on the definition of public officer.
“Consequently, the commission resolved to appeal all cases involving those ‘holding public office’ to the Supreme Court. However, due to time constraints, the commission further resolved that the upper court should hear the matters after the May 20 2014 Elections.
“The commission, therefore, allowed candidates who had been disqualified on the grounds that they were holding public offices to contest the elections.”
Professor John Chisi of Umodzi Party is among the candidates allowed to contest as a presidential candidate.
Others allowed to contest as parliamentarians include President Joyce Banda’s aides Malani Mtonga, MacDonald Sembereka and Elias Wakuda Kamanga.
Lawyer Chimwemwe Kalua, who was barred for being a member of one of the parastatal boards, has also been allowed to contest in Blantyre Malabada as an independent.n
