Malawi President Peter Mutharika has withheld consent to the electoral amendment bill which set the date for the holding of fresh presidential elections.
The Parliamentary and Presidential Elections Amendment Bill, which was passed by parliament in February, followed a Constitutional Court ruling earlier that month nullifying the outcome of the 2019 presidential results that gave victory to Mutharika ahead of his main opposition challengers.
It set May 19 as the date for the re-run of the presidential poll.
Presidential spokesperson Mgeme Kalirani told journalists in the commercial capital Blantyre on Tuesday that Mutharika felt that parliament has no power to enact a statutory provision governing the timetable for general elections, run-off or fresh elections.
‘The Parliament also did not include in the bill all procedures and steps relating to the holding of the fresh elections or re-run,” Kalirani said.
The bill is now expected to be returned to the Speaker of the National Assembly, with a notification that the president’s assent has been withheld.
The bill shall not again be debated until after 21 days from the date of notification to the Speaker.
FT/jn/APA