Chisomo Ngulube Writes

  Malawi's major political quakes begin at Njamba Freedom Park in its Commercial city of Blantyre. The crowds that gather there to welcome a politician will tell him/here whether or not victory is assured. Its why political parties and their flag carriers will go to the extent of ferrying supporters for remote areas just to paint that picture. It is here that, on June 20, 2009 UTM Party president Saulos Chilima and running mate to Malawi Congress Party President Lazarous Chakwera wrapped up Tonse Alliance's bid for a presidential mandate when Malawians vote of the June 23 polls.

  The wording of the Malawi Constitution has on more than one occasion begged for interpretation from our learned colleagues in the judiciary. In the latest instance, the Constitutional Court in delivering its judgement that nullified Malawi’s 2019 presidential election result, interpreted the word ‘majority’ in Section 80 (2) of the country’s supreme law to mean securing 50 plus one percent of the votes cast. In doing so, they overturned an earlier ruling that said a majority simply meant the first one past the post. In 2009, Malawi’s former president Bakili Muluzi, seeking to spring back to Sanjika also petitioned the court to try and explain what  the Constitution meant by two ‘consecutive terms’. In his understanding, which I think makes sense, consecutive meant one after the other. To him, a person could serve as President for two consecutive terms, take a breather, put their feet up, probably on a ...