BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—The Blantyre High Court has on Monday nullified May 2019 parliamentary election results for Mangochi North East Constituency in which United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate Idi Kalosi was declared winner by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) declared UDF candidate Idi Kalosi who got 8,980 votes the winner over seven others including independent candidate Martin Chikati Sekati who got 7,053 during the elections.
Sekati challenged the results, saying were marred by irregularities.
Speaking to journalists lawyer Chimwemwe Kalua representing Sekati said they decided to challenge the results after noticing that some votes cast in favour of his client were being allocated to Kalosi, while some of the results were completely lost symbolising irregularities.
“There were irregularities in most centers, we saw some results sheets were not signed by the returning officers, that was very unprofessional.
“We were also encouraged to go to court as mainly because there was no log book, how could we trust results without a log book?” he wondered.
Passing judgement, justice Joseph Chigona agreed with most of the arguments advanced by Sekati that the results were tainted, were marred by several irregularities and he therefore nullified the election results, rendering the seat vacant.
Sekati said he was happy with the ruling of the High Court saying justice has been served.
“I am not surprised to be declared as a winner, I am ready to face my rivals on the ground and I am hoping that I will win again,” he added.
The first MP to lose seat was Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) parliamentarian for Mangochi West, Geoffrey Chiwondo, after the court observed massive irregularities in handling the election.
Unlike DPP’s Chiwondo who appealed the High Court judgment at the Supreme Court, Kalosi has accepted the verdict and is optimistic of retaining the seat in the re-run.
“I am not worried. I will campaign and retain my victory,” he said.
MEC spokesperson Sangwani Mwafulirwa said the commission was a law-biding and respects the court’s judgment.
His response is in line with the Supreme Court’s judgment that MEC erred in appealing the presidential election case, arguing the electoral body is not an aggrieved party but a referee in the electoral process.