Chombo misinterpreted law: local think-tank

LOCAL think-tank Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU) has accused Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo of misinterpreting laws governing the conduct of mayoral elections.

In a report last week, RAU researcher Derek Matyszak said the problem was compounded by the existence of three different sets of legislation, the Constitution, Urban Councils Act and the Electoral Act — which all covered appointment of mayors.

“There was considerable confusion about the appointment of mayors which has apparently been resolved by the interpretation given by the Minister of Local Government and this interpretation has now been accepted by most parties to the problem, but, as a recent analysis by RAU demonstrates, it appears that this interpretation is wrong,” Matyszak said.

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