The wave of defeats for politicians who defected to the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) from opposition ranks continues to grow, with former Deputy Speaker of Parliament Esther Mcheka Chilenje becoming the latest high-profile figure to fall in the party’s primary elections.
Chilenje, who once held the Nsanje North seat under the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) before crossing over to MCP, was soundly beaten in Monday’s primaries.
According to official results seen by this publication, Chilenje managed to secure only 53 votes, a distant third behind the incumbent Member of Parliament, Enock Chizuzu, who garnered a commanding 798 votes. Rose Makiyi, a ward councillor for Kalulu Ward, came in second with 415 votes.
The loss is a significant blow to Chilenje’s political resurgence under the MCP banner. Unless she chooses to contest as an independent, Chilenje is now effectively out of the 2025 parliamentary race for Nsanje North.
Meanwhile, MCP officials at both regional and national levels have not yet issued a public statement regarding the outcome of the primaries.
Her defeat adds to a widening pattern in MCP’s ongoing primaries, where several former opposition politicians have failed to secure grassroots support, signalling a strong resistance within the party’s base to accommodate newcomers at the expense of long-serving members.
Other notable politicians who recently defected to the MCP and have also lost in the ongoing primary elections include Minister of Tourism Vera Kamtukule, veteran politician Ken Msonda, former First Lady Callista Mutharika and former DPP central region governor Zeria Chakale.
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