MEC announces calendar for Karonga by-elections
Pollster, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has announced the calendar for the Karonga by-elections to be held on March 26, 2024 for three wards that fell vacant on 1st September, 2023 following the conviction of three ward councillors.
The three, Chilanga Ward councillor Steven Simsokwe (Malawi Congress Party), Kaporo Ward councillor Ngasalayumo Mwangonde (UTM Party) and Rukuru Ward councillor Smart Mwakayira (Democratic Progressive Party), were answering three accounts of abuse of office, theft and fraud.
MEC chairperson, Chifundo Kachale, said in an address that “according to Sections 23 and 47 of the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Act, the Commission is obliged to conduct by-elections so that the electorate continue to enjoy representation in the council.”
Among others, Kachale said, the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Act mandates the Commission to conduct voter registration for a period of not less than seven days and not more than fourteen days.
“For these by-elections, the Commission will open centres for seven (7) days for voter registration and inspection from 19 to 25 February 2024 in the three by-election areas. Registration centres will open at 8AM and close at 4PM without a lunch break throughout the period, including weekend.
“All those who registered for the 2019 Tripartite Elections and the 30 March 2021 by-election, in the case of Chilanga and Rukuru Wards in Karonga North-West Constituency, need not to register again, whether they voted or not. They should rather go and verify their details in the voters’ register during this voter registration period. If they lost their voter registration certificates, they should go to the centre where they registered to get a replacement which they will use for identification on the polling day,” he said.
Simusokwe, Mwangonde and Mwakayira were found guilty and convicted for fraudulently pocketing K2.4 million from 80 Karonga Market vendors in exchange for plots in December 2019.
In his 15-minute ruling in a jam-packed courtroom, first grade magistrate Julius Kalambo said after going through the aggravating factors from the State and mitigating factors from the defence, the court agreed with the State on the seriousness of the offences.
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