Court Dismisses Attorney General’s Application To Adjourn Presidential Elections Case

Constitutional court has declined to adjourn presidential elections case as applied by attorney general Kalekeni Kaphale

Meanwhile first witness of first petitioner Dr Saulos Chilima of UTM party is defending his evidence.

At the beginning of the case on Thursday morning Kaphale applied for the adjournment in order to read new materials he received from the petitioners on Wednesday.

However, in the afternoon judge Justice Tembo dismissed the application but gave the 2^nd respondent 2 days that is this weekend to read the statements from the petitioners and prepare their evidence.

“The case will resume on Monday 12^th August at 2 o’clock not 9 o’clock,” said Tembo

He also dismissed an application by the 1^st respondent saying the 8 days which the court gave them were enough.

In the morning Kaphale complained that he had not started reading the materials hence the need to delay the court hearing therefore asking for a 6 day adjournment.

However, the 1^st petitioner objected the application because it was misconceived.

The 2^nd petitioner also was in opposition of the application saying the adjournment was unnecessary.

Representative of the second petitioner said there was need to proceed with the trial of the case which was applied by the 1^st petitioner.

Present in the court were Friends of the court which is Malawi law society and women lawyers association.

The presidential elections case was expected to begin on 29 July, 2019 but was adjourned to 8 August, 2019 after Malawi Electoral Commission MEC applied for an extension of 14 days to collect its evidence on the case.

However, the constitutional court gave MEC 5 days.