No date set for poll case verdict
The Judiciary has said there is no exact date set when the Constitutional Court will deliver a ruling of the presidential elections case.
However, the Judiciary has promised that the court will stick to the 45- days timeframe which it says judgment will be ready and made known.
Registrar of the Judiciary, Agnes Patemba was responding to some reports circulating on some conventional as well as social media that the date for the ruling had been set.
“When the judgement will be ready, we will make it public, but it will not be beyond February 3, but Judges have assured us that they will have finished by January 27. Judgement is still being written,” Patemba said.
The country is in a state of anticipation for the ruling in the landmark case in which Malawi Congress Party ‘s President Lazarus Chakwera and his UTM counterpart, Saulos Chilima are seeking nullification of the elections claiming that the polls were marred by illegularities.
Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) declared Democratic Progress Party candidate, Peter Mutharika, winner of the elections.
Since the announcement of the elections’ results, there has been tension in the country with Human Rights Defenders Coalition leading some Malawians to a series of nationwide protests aimed at forcing Mec Chairperson, Jane Ansah, to resign for what they call “failing to manage the May 21 Tripartite Elections.” Ansah has insisted that the elections were credible and as such, there was no reason for her step down from his position.
Last week, there was a new twist to the case with revelations that some people offered some of the judges money believed to be K300 million each to rule in their favour.
The judges complained to the Chief Justice, Andrew Nyirenda, who in turn lodged a complaint to the Anti-Corruption Bureau. However, despite pressure from the public and Malawi Law Society, the graft-busting body has consistently refused to name those who attempted to “bribe” the judges.
However yesterday the ACB arrested business magnate Thom Mpinganjira in connection with the allegations.
