Malawi: Constitutional Court Cancels Presidential Election Result, Orders New Vote - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Publisher (J.T)
February 4, 2020
Malawi’sConstitutional Court has nullified the results of a vote that re-electedPresident, Peter Mutharika in May 2019 and ordered a new presidential election,citing widespread irregularities including the use of correction fluid onballot papers.
Mutharika,who will remain president until the fresh elections, has the right to appealthe judgment, which is expected to stoke turmoil in the normally peacefulsouthern African country.
Thelead Judge, Healey Potani, said the court held that the first respondentMutharika was not duly elected as President of Malawi on May 21, 2019.
Headded that the court nullified the results of the presidential elections andordered for a fresh election within 150 days.
Thejudgment was greeted with jubilation in the second city of Blantyre, whereresidents in impoverished townships set-off fireworks.
Themain opposition Malawi Congress Party, which led the court challenge, welcomedthe ruling as a very fair judgement, which it said had set a precedent forfuture elections.