The Malawi High Court sitting in the capital Lilongwe as the Constitutional Court Monday nullified the May 21, 2019 presidential elections due to irregularities.
Delivering his ruling, Judge Healey Potani ruled that the country should hold fresh elections because the the past exercise had seen widespread irregularities which undermined its integrity.
“The new elections shall be held in 150 days time and the Malawi National Assembly should convene in 21 days to discuss and set the date for fresh elections,” he ordered.
According to a legal expert, Geofrey Kaombe, the verdict vindicates the position of the United Transformation Movement (UTM) leader Saulos Chilima and the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) demanding a nullification of the results because President Peter Mutharika was not duly elected.
“This means that President Mutharika will remain in his position until the elections are held but the only change will be on his vice,” he said.
UTM leader Saulos Chilima has automatically retained his position which he held in 2014 as VP replacing the current occupant of the position Everton Chimulirenji.
However, the high profile case was presided over by High Court Judges, Healey Potani, Ivy Kamanga, Redson Kapindu, Mike Tembo and Dingiswayo Madise.
FT/as/APA