Supporters of incumbent Member of Parliament for Blantyre City West Constituency Thom Gowelo have written President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika protesting primary elections re-run in the constituency as announced by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Vice President for the South Kondwani Nankhumwa.
The DPP supporters led by its constituency Governor Blazio Chikala on Wednesday matched to the party’s regional office in Blantyre to present a letter demanding for the immediate firing of Charles Mchacha, regional governor for the South.
The Primary elections in Blantyre City West Constituency were held at MDC Stadium on December 21, 2018 where Incumbent MP for the Constituency Thom Gowelo won the primaries after beating his strong contender Berther Maseko by 745 votes against 708 votes.
But the polls ended in controversy as supporters of Maseko accused Gowelo of rigging the primary elections by creating fraudulent area committees.
Maseko went further by lodging a complaint to the party’s regional office forcing the party to withhold the outcomes of the primaries.
Last week, Nankhumwa called for primary elections re-run in nine constituencies in the South including Blantyre City West Constituency.
Nankhumwa described the primary polls in the South which is believed to be a stronghold for the ruling DPP as mess and he accused some presiding officers of letting the party down during the primaries.
The news has not gone down well with the people from Blantyre City West Constituency who have since written Mutharika on the matter.
The supporters are accusing the regional office in the South led by Mchacha of having its own candidate.
In a letter signed by Chikala and the Constituency Secretary Elson Chakhumira dated January 8, 2019 addressed to President Mutharika, the supporters feel the polls were free and fair.