The upcoming election in Dedza Central is essentially an internal contest within the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), as all the candidates are affiliated with or have a background in the MCP. The Democratic Progressive Party and other political parties have decided to show deference to the mother of all parties in the country MCP to reclaim the seat, following the passing of Daniel Chiwere, the former representative.
Meanwhile, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) reported that a total of 3,202 new voters have been registered, with 1,993 of them being female. This signifies an increase of 784 new female voters compared to their male counterparts. The registration process for these new voters was conducted between October 2nd and 8th, 2023, in preparation for the upcoming by-election in Dedza Central.
“The Commission is further informing the public that during the same period the voters’ register was made available for inspection to give an opportunity to voters, representative of political parties, independent candidates and observers to verify the entries in the voters’ register in accordance with section 21(1) and (2) of the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Act,” reads of the statement.
The frontrunner in the race is Willard Gwengwe, a member of the MCP and the elder brother of Sosten Gwengwe, who currently serves as the Minister of Trade and Industry.
