Malawi’s parliamentary committee officials are considering approaching the country’s constitutional court if the legislature fails to pass the electoral reform bills by Monday, online publication Nyasa Times reported. 

The landmark constitutional court ruling, which annulled the country’s presidential elections, gave an order for parliament to pass the electoral reforms before holding fresh presidential elections.

However, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is reported to be “playing political games" to frustrate the passing of the reforms in parliament. 

Last week, the public appointments committee (PAC) of Malawi’s parliament asked president Peter Mutharika to act on its recommendation to fire embattled Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) members. 

PAC chairperson Collins Kajawa told a press briefing that the commissioners who presided over last May's presidential election were incompetent.

“We are expecting the president to look at the recommendations and that he should consider appointing new commissioners because the current commissioners have proved to be incompetent,” Malawi24 quoted Kajawa as saying.

After nullifying the election - which returned Mutharika to power, the constitutional court ordered Malawi's parliament to enquire into the competence of the MEC commissioners, who have since appeared before the PAC.

Earlier this month, the constitutional court dismissed a bid by the MEC and Mutharika to suspend the ruling that overturned the result until an appeal filed by the president was heard by the Supreme Court of Appeals (SCA). 

The court also rejected the electoral commission's argument that another election would be costly for the impoverished country, as well as Mutharika’s argument that there would be chaos if a fresh vote produced a different victor and his appeal at the SCA then succeeded, meaning Malawi would have two presidents. 

The constitutional court said it was highly unlikely that the new vote would take place before the SCA made its determination.