Malawi shifts to top campaign gear for presidential polls

Thousands are attending rallies in defiance of a ban on large gatherings (AFP Photo/AMOS GUMULIRA)

Officials and experts are sounding the alarm as Malawi shifts to top campaign gear with giant rallies for an unprecedented presidential re-run despite the coronavirus outbreak.

The southern African country will hold elections in just under two months after the Constitutional Court overturned the results of last year's controversial elections, which handed President Peter Mutharika a second term.

Mutharika gained just 38.5 percent of the May 21 vote but the Constitutional Court annulled the result, citing "grave”and "widespread”irregularities including the use of correction fluid on ballot papers.

According to the electoral commission, the elections are due on July 2 but could be brought forward to June 23.

Thousands of supporters have gathered and shoved shoulder to shoulder despite a ban on large gatherings as they cheer on their candidates who handed in their papers last week.

Malawi's coronavirus cases now stand at 63 including three deaths since the first case emerged on April 2.

No lockdown has been imposed but the government has ordered public gatherings to be capped at 100 people.

A court last month blocked the government from imposing a full lockdown because it had failed to announce any measures to cushion the vulnerable.

"We are really concerned with the gathering of people for political rallies,”said Health Ministry principal secretary Dan Namarika.

"We have seen huge gatherings, this is would defeat the fight against coronavirus,” he said.

Source(s): AFP