DPP, UDF win by-elections
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and United Democratic Front (UDF) won the Milonde Ward in Mulanje District and Mangochi District’s Malindi Ward by-elections, respectively, unofficial results showed Tuesday.
Unofficial results in Mangochi put UDF candidate Kassim Limamu in the lead followed by Malawi Congress Party’s (MCP) Ambrose Hamisi in a contest that pitted opposition parties against each other since the ruling party did not participate in it.
And in Mulanje Milonde, DPP’s Mike Skinner got 2,319 votes while MCP’s Donanta Nyanga got 531votes.
Both by-elections were characterised by low voter turnouts. In Mangochi, the
ward fell vacant following the death, in December last year, of UDF councillor John Saidi Maccolera.
Out of 17,075 voters registered in Malindi Ward, only 6,000 turned out, representing 30 percent of voters.
From the total votes cast, UDF’s Limamu got 2,735, Hamisi of MCP obtained 1,060, Hassan Chikuta of People’s Party got 878 while independent candidate George Chiwaula managed to get 530 votes.
In Mulanje, the DPP retained its seat.
The results show that UDF is still controlling some parts of Mangochi, which is considered its stronghold.
To MCP, the results point to strides the party has made since the last general elections, considering that, during the last general elections, its parliamentary candidate for the area Fatima Frank only managed to get 309 votes.
However, the party did not field a candidate as councillor in Malindi Ward in 2014.
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