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Deputy Minister Commits Suicide after Electoral Defeat in Malawi

Categories: Sub-Saharan Africa, Malawi, Citizen Media, Elections, Politics

City Press reports the suicide [1] of Godfrey Kamanya, a Malawian deputy minister, apparently after losing his parliamentary seat during the general elections held on 20 May 2014 :

The official results of Tuesday’s election are still to be announced. But preliminary election results aired on radio stations indicated that Kamanya was faring badly in the poll and was likely to lose his parliamentary seat.

In a suicide note now held by police, Kamanya reportedly said he took his life because of misunderstandings related to politics. He also outlined how his wealth would be distributed and asked incumbent President Joyce Banda, under whom he served, to help pay the school fees for his child.