PPM justifies failure to hold primaries
People’s Progressive Party (PPM) says it did not hold primary elections for its parliamentary and ward aspirants due to lack of competition within the party.
PPM spokesperson Joseph Mazizi told The Nation that few candidates came forward to challenge others in many constituencies.
Said Mazizi: “We wish we had primary elections, but in many constituencies where we have candidates, it was only one person expressing interest to contest on PPM ticket.”
He, however, said in constituencies where two candidates expressed interest to contest on PPM ticket, the party negotiated with the two so that one stands as a Member of Parliament (MP) and the other as a councillor.
He said the party has managed to field parliamentary candidates in 55 cout of 193 constituencies in the country. But he could not provide the total number of councillors who will contest on PPM ticket as we went to press.
PPM held its convention on January 23 this year where Mark Katsonga Phiri sailed unopposed to become the party’s presidential candidate in the May 20 Tripartite Elections.
On Tuesday last week, Katsonga presented his nominations to the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) at Comesa Hall in Blantyre where he unveiled Professor Jacob Mbunge as his running mate.
