Irregularities marred DPP primary elections

Report by Gloria Masanza. 

Reports from different parts of the country, where the Democratic Progressive Party-DPP is conducting its primary elections, indicate that the elections are marred by irregularities.

Some reports indicate that in many areas aspirants, who were favourites among senior party officials, received special attention and favours at the expense of the other contenders.

The reports are also rife that some sitting members of parliament and other party favourites had additional area committee, which were mostly dubious and unknown to all the other contenders.

This is said to be giving an advantage to the party’s favourites as they have more people voting for them, unlike their competitors.

Political commentators have argued that the practice of rigging primary elections was not healthy, as it defeats the purpose of democracy.

However the ruling DPP says the fact that MPs are winning unopposed, show that the electorate has trust in their sitting parliamentarians.

An official who did not want to be named, was recently quoted in local media as saying the chaos that has been characterizing the primaries, was a sign that democracy was at work in the party.

There are reports of some hopefuls pulling out of the race, after reports of irregularities, on the administration of the primaries.

Notable among those who have pulled out of the race is deputy minister of tourism Billy Kaunda who was contesting in Mzimba West Constituency, citing manipulative practices.

Another DPP member who withdrew from the primaries was Getrude Nya Mkandawire, who went into parliament on PETRA ticket but defected to the DPP earlier this year.

She was contesting for the party’s Mzimba Solora seat.

Latest reports also say that elections which were expected to take place in Blantyre south west Constituency, were cancelled, following chaos that erupted at the venue of the elections.

DPP constituency governor for the area, Zacharia Ziba, said there was chaos and disorder, at the centre, after it was discovered, that more area committees, have been created, in order to rig the elections, in favour of one of the female candidates, in the contest.

According to Ziba, he and other colleagues had to be whisked away, by the police, after supporters of one of the candidates threatened them of unspecified action.

He added that the issue of additional area committees had been the cause of chaos in other constituencies as well, but the party has made to effort to address it.

In the Blantyre South West constituency, the three candidates, who were expected to contest were, Juliana Mphande, Mimi Somba and Kennedy Kachingwe.

However, returning officer for the Blantyre south West primary elections, deputy minister of economic planning and development, Roy Chizimba, was not immediately available for comment.