Malawi top lawyer 'rejects justice minister post'

The lawyer who represented Malawi's new president Lazarus Chakwera in annulling the last election has turned down the post of justice minister, according to Malawi's Daily Times newspaper.

Mordecai Msiska was the lead lawyer in the case that annulled the presidential election in December.

Mr Chakwera went on to win the re-run of the election which was held on 21 June and reportedly subsequently offered Mr Msiska the job.

But, he did not consider it appropriate to take up the post which he was being offered by Mr Chakwera.

"My presence in Cabinet would have been a continuous distraction to the President’s agenda for the country,” Mr Msisha is quoted as saying in the Daily Times.

Last year Malawi became the second African nation to annul a presidential election over irregularities, after Kenya in 2017.