MCP NOT TO CONTEST IN MANGOCHI MALOMBE BY-ELECTION

The Malawi Congress Party says it wants the opposition to triumph in the forthcoming local polls. It has since described its move to withdraw a candidate in the Mangochi-Malombe constituency as strategic.

MCP spokesperson, Mrs. Nancy Tembo:

‘’We’ve decided to put all our efforts in the Dowa South East constituency as a strategic decision, because we know that other opposition parties have fielded candidates I Mangochi Malombe constituency.’

Mrs. Tembo says MCP feels the opposition UDF is stronger than MCP in Mangochi Malombe; hence, the need to give it a chance to carry the day:

‘We found that other opposition parties are stronger than us and can do better than us,’ says Mrs. Tembo.

‘As long as a candidate from the opposition—that will be in order with us. We think what we now need is a strong opposition in parliament.’

However, the United Democratic Front (U-D-F) says it will field candidates in both constituencies. The party says it will hold primary elections this week.

The party’s Director of Research, Mr. Humphreys Mvula, told ZBS that teams to conduct the primaries in the two constituencies have already being deployed.

And the Democratic Progressive Party (D-P-P) spokesperson, Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba, says his party will conduct primaries in two constituencies on the fifth of September.

‘We’ve not yet identified candidates for the two constituencies, but we understand there may be more than one candidate is interested in each of the constituencies,’ says the DPP Spokesperson, Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba.

‘We will conduct the primaries on 5 September in both constituencies.’

Dowa SE constituency fell vacant following the death of the DPP MP, Mr. Hastings Chitsamba in January this year while Mangochi Malombe constituency became vacant after the death of UDF legislator Hillary Ajinga last year.