Court bars Chilumpha’s presidential bid on Tikonze ticket

The High Court has ruled in favour of Tikonze People’s Movement (TPM) that former vice-president Dr Cassim Chilumpha cannot contest the May 21 2019 presidential race under its banner.

The Tikonze movement dragged Chilumpha to court arguing it did not put him as their presidential candidate as they are in electoral alliance with UTM Party of State vice-president Saulos Chilima.

Chilumpha, who heads a tiny Alliance for Development and Democracy (ADD), has been told by Judge Mike Tembo that his nomination had irregularities.

Tikonze movement  through its lawyer Maziko Sauti-Phiri argued that Chilumpha’s  nomination papers was not sanction by its members and that allowing him to represent that ticket would lead to “an absurdity of TPM” being represented twice under its duly authorised presidential candidate [Chilima and then unsanctioned Chilumpha.”

TPM argued that Chilumpha was not an elected candidate for the movement.

The court’s determination, according to lawyers, did not mean Chilumpha’s bid for presidency has ended. He may choose to represent his ADD or run as an independent candidate.

The embattled Chilumpha, a reticent lawyer, did not come to court and could not be reached for comment.

Chilumpha was State vice president from 2004 after he was elected jointly with President Bingu wa Mutharika on United Democrtaic Front (UDF) ticket but the relationship between late  wa Mutharika and  Chilumpha had deteriorated.

Late Mutharika announced that  Chilumpha had “constructively” resigned from his position and accused him of insubordination, running a parallel government and failing to perform his duties.

Chilumpha disputed this,  saying, “rather through an organised campaign of public humiliation, the [DPP] government  systematically abused me, destroyed my public image, traumatised me and utterly undermined my ability”.

The court reinstated him.

But he was laters charged with treasons on claims that he wanted to assassinate Bingu together with Yusuf Billiat Matumula.

The charges were never dropped.

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