Pheobe Mtembenuzenu arriving
* She arrives dressed in UTM colours and escorted by party surpporters
* MEC had already received nomination papers from UTM candidate Fyson Duncan Mainjeni
* Mtembenuzenu maintains she is competing in the by-elections as an independent candidate
By Elijah Phompho, MEC Stringer
There was drama at Bodza Teachers Development Center (TDC) when independent Parliamentary aspirant for Chikwawa East Constituency by-elections, Pheobe Mtembenuzenu arrived dressed up in UTM Party colours and accompanied by the party’s when she was presenting her nomination papers.
She maintains she is independent
Her escort were clad in UTM cloth and carried the party’s flag while chanting songs of praise for the independent candidate.
The development surprised Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) offficials as earlier they had already received nomination papers from a UTM candidate, Fyson Duncan Mainjeni.
However, when presenting her letter Mtembenuzenu maintained she is competing in the by-elections as an independent candidate.
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She told reporters that as an independent candidate she is working with everyone else in the constituency despite their party affiliation, hence she found nothing wrong with UTM surpporters escorting her to present her papers.
“Let people not be confused — I am an independent candidate,” she said. “These people are following me not because I belong to their party but because they believe I am going to develop this area.
“I, therefore, call upon people in this constituency to vote for me without considering whether I belong to their party or not,” she said, adding that the area has never had a female MP before — hence people ought to give her a chance.
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There has not been an immediate comment from UTM authorities on the matter but the party’s candidate for the area Mainjeni confirmed that some UTM leaders in the constituency have been campaigning for Mtembenuzenu despite her being an independent candidate — a development which he said has brought confusion among party surpporters.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has also not been spaired of the phenomenon as the its candidate, Ginford Maulidi, has also complained that some DPP leaders have been campaigning for an independent candidate, Finason Brown Thenguro.
Meanwhile, People’s Party candidate Harrison Phiri announced his withdraw from the race in order to support his Tonse Alliance partner, Malawi Congress Party’s Foster Thipiwa.
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So far seven candidates have confirmed their participation in the 30th March by election in Chikwawa East constituency out of nine candidates who contested in the court’s anulled 2019 tripartite elections.
MEC was on Monday receiving nomination letters from aspiring candidates in Karonga North west, Ntchisi North, Lilongwe Msinja South and Zomba Changalume constituencies and also wards in Rivirivi in Balaka and Chitakale in Mulanje.
In Chikwawa East, Nsanje North and Nsanje Central constituencies, the electoral body was only getting letters from the same candidates who contested in the 2019 tripartite elections, confirming their interest to participate in the upcoming by elections as per the direction of the court.
The candidates who contested in the elections but are no longer interested for the by-elections were also required to notify the electoral body through writing.
