By Eric Chiputula:
The main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has failed to register a win in Tuesday’s Local Government by-elections.
On Tuesday the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) conducted the by-elections in Shire Ward in Balaka, Lupembe ward in Karonga and Wenya ward in Chitipa.
Announcing results at Katoto Secondary School hall in Mzuzu, MEC Chairperson Justice Chifundo Kachale declared the elections free and fair and that the Commission has not received any complaint from the 15 contesting candidates in all the three wards.
However Kachale said in Karonga police have arrested one person who was giving hand outs on polling day to influence voting.
From the official results, the governing Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has managed two seats while the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) has managed one seat.
In Wenya ward MCP candidate Ronald Kayira has been declared winner after collecting a total of 1, 663 votes after beating four other candidates from Freedom party, AFORD, UTM and DPP while in Lupembe ward in Karonga another MCP candidate Elisha Winga has been declared winner after amassing 1, 591votes beating three other candidates from AFORD, DPP and UTM.
In Shire ward UDF’s Dickson Wasili has been declared winner after amassing 2,545 votes beating five other candidates from the DPP, MCP, Umodzi Party, AFORD and an independent candidate.
The Commission has, however, expressed concern over women’s failure to participate in the just ended by elections. Of the 15 candidates in the three wards all were male, a development which MEC Chairperson has described as worrisome.
“Of all the 15 candidates that that contested in the three wards, there is no woman or person with disability standing. This comes at a time when the Commission has been steadfast in encouraging the special interest groups to stand in elections by offering a discount on nomination fees. The absence of women candidates triggers thoughts that maybe the nomination fees incentive comes late in the process when the targeted population has already been eliminated by the process,” said Kachale.
Kachale has since urged political parties to put in place measures to encourage women, the youth and persons with disabilities to participate in elections.
