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| National |
| Candidate stuns Aford |
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by
Karen Msiska, 13 September 2004
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11:30:04
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Alliance for Democracy (Aford) candidate for Mzimba North constituency has stunned her party by declaring that she is still the party candidate despite being replaced in controversial primary elections won by nephew to party president Chakufwa Chihana.
Dorcas Malopa Gondwe insisted in an interview that she will not back off from the Aford candidacy despite being replaced by nephew to Chakufwa Chihana, Yeremia, who beat Manuel Ngwira by 147 votes to 17 in a primary election whose venue was changed at the 11th hour over the weekend.
“I am still the Alliance for Democracy candidate for Mzimba North constituency because on top of being the person who holds the Aford candidacy certificate, they have never informed me that they are replacing me with another candidate,” Malopa Gondwe said.
She said she could not contest in fresh primaries because she already had her free and fair primaries in which she won. She said she would only think of what to do next if Aford officially informs her that she has been replaced.
But Aford secretary general Wallace Chiume said in a separate interview that Malopa Gondwe officially tendered her withdrawal from the candidacy to the party president, deputy publicity secretary Khwauli Msiska, campaign director Dindi Gowa Nyasulu and Chiume himself.
“She came to Lilongwe in the company of former Mzuzu city candidate Noria Chivundiko Gondwe to present her withdrawal from the candidacy. You can verify with any of those people,” he said.
Msiska confirmed Malopa Gondwe’s withdrawal saying: “That is true. Don’t doubt what the secretary general has told you, it is all true. She came.”
But Malopa Gondwe countered: “I said I am not taking part in the primaries because I already went through primaries. Is that withdrawing?” she queried adding: “Ask him how many people participated in the primaries. They called nine representatives from each of the 140 areas,” she said.
The venue of the primaries was changed on the 11th hour from Enukweni to Emanyaleni.
Some quarters said Chihana, who became the eventual winner, influenced the change of venue for his benefit, but Chiume said the development was in response to the people’s request because Emanyaleni is at the centre of the constituency. He could not say why it had to be done on the 11th hour.
The controversy comes at a time Malawi is struggling to achieve 30 percent women representation in Parliament by 2005 as recommended by Sadc heads of state and government.
Human Rights activist Vera Chirwa told Nation Online that Malawi cannot achieve the 30 percent Sadc recommendation if women are sidelined in politics.
Aford has only one female representative in the National Assembly.
Yeremia Chihana was scheduled to stand as an independent candidate after he was frustrated in earlier primaries won by Malopa Gondwe.
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