PP’s Ralph Mhone challenges results
Former leader of People’s Party (PP) in Parliament Raphael Mhone has challenged unofficial results in the Nkhata Bay Central Constituency parliamentary election where he has lost with three votes.
The former legislator, a lawyer by profession, is calling for annulment of the results and a re-run, failing which, he said, he will contest the matter in court.
Mhone told journalists yesterday soon after the announcement of results that his competitor, Symon Vuwa Kaunda of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), violated the Political Parties Act 2018 by allegedly giving out handouts prior and during the Tuesday tripartite elections.
He said: “We complained about this before the unofficial results were out because giving out handouts is an offence, but no action was taken.
“Secondly, we noticed `that one ballot box from one of his strongholds was not sealed. So, we feel it might have been tampered with.”
Ironically, Kaunda wrote police complaining that Mhone gave 50 iron sheets to a church outside the campaign period, a development Nkhata Bay Police officer-in-charge Rhoda Lemani said they are investigating.
She acknowledged receiving the letter.
The constituency returning officer Gustove Kamanga refused to comment on the matter.
The unofficial results indicate that Vuwa Kaunda won 6 415 votes against Mhone’s 6 412.
