By Glory Msowoya
An aspiring presidential candidate for the July 2 fresh polls, Smart Swira has faced a setback to his ambition following his family’s request to Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to revoke the presidential nomination papers collected by their relation based on his medical grounds.
Spokesperson for the family, John Swira told Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Monday the family has written MEC to have their relation’s papers revoked, citing his health status as a condition which may not be accepted by the family to contest in the elections.
“On April 10, 2020 the family sent a letter to MEC requesting the removal of Smart Swira from the list of presidential candidates for the forthcoming election.
“We feel for him to continue with the electoral process, it will be very difficult; hence, the decision,” he said.
Swira claimed his brother, Smart, has been moving around buying voter certificates and national identity cards which was against the law of the land.
“On April 6, 2020 when he was apprehended in Nsanje District by angry people when he was found buying national identity cards and voter certificates, he was handed over to the police.
“Later he was released with clear instructions that he should not be found or go again to the district. He did the same thing in Mwanza District,” added John Swira.
He further said Smart suffers from high blood pressure and that he is also a psychiatric patient.
“We feel his life is in great danger bearing in mind that he does not have any source of income yet he was found with some cash to buy national identity cards.
“So, we are calling on the general public that once they see Swira doing the malpractice they should report him to the nearest police station without harming him as currently, his health condition is not good,” pleaded the family spokesperson.
MEC spokesperson, Sangwani Mwafulirwa confirmed receiving the letter from the Swira family. However, he could not be drawn into divulging more on the matter, saying issues of a person’s health are private.
Smart Swira is among seven presidential aspiring candidates who collected presidential nomination papers from MEC ahead of the fresh elections slated for July 2, this year, following the nullification of the May 21, 2019 polls by the Constitutional Court on February 3.
