Malawi Freedom Network 
By Our Reporter
The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) is facing mounting pressure after a lawyer representing the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and three of its legislators warned of fresh court action over outstanding rental arrears amounting to about K885 million.
Lawyer George Kadzipatike, who successfully obtained a High Court injunction blocking the relocation of MEC headquarters to Blantyre, has accused authorities of deliberately withholding rental payments to force the electoral body out of its current premises in Lilongwe.
His warning follows a Notice of Distress issued by the Sheriff of Malawi, giving MEC five days to settle the outstanding warehouse rental arrears for its Njewa facility or risk having its property seized and sold to recover the debt.What the MEC Relocation Dispute Means for Malawi’s Electoral Future
Kadzipatike argued that the failure to pay rent would amount to defying existing court orders.
“The Notice of Distress from the Sheriff of Malawi shows that payment of rent to the landlord must happen within five days from the date of execution. If this order is breached and payment does not happen, it means the Chief Secretary and the Minister of Lands are in contempt of the High Court of Malawi, and we shall immediately file contempt of court proceedings against the two public officers,” he said.
He maintained that both the Chief Secretary and the Minister of Lands are already before the courts over the same tenancy dispute after the High Court stayed their decisions regarding the non-renewal of MEC’s tenancy.
Kadzipatike further claimed that the delayed payment of rent appears to be part of a broader plan to facilitate MEC’s relocation to Blantyre despite the court injunction currently in force.Mec’s rejections of relocating to Blantyre a subject of discussion
Meanwhile, MEC Director of Media and Public Relations Sangwani Mwafulirwa said the Commission is working to resolve the matter.
He said MEC is actively engaging the relevant government authorities and the landlord to regularise the lease agreement and address the outstanding administrative processes surrounding the tenancy.
The latest development adds another layer of uncertainty to the ongoing legal battle over MEC’s office location, with the electoral body now facing both financial pressure and the possibility of further court proceedings if the rental dispute remains unresolved.Court Halts MEC Relocation to Blantyre in Major Legal Setback for Government
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