US Embassy ‘smoked’ in Lilongwe: Police arrest newly-elected MP Jiya over elections protests
Malawi police on Thursday fired tear gas into US Embassy offices in Lilongwe as opposition supporters staged another protests over the May 21 Tripartite Elections results and blocked off protesters running to the building, witnesses said.
As the US Embassy was engulfed with smoke, security officers swiftly evacuated the ambassador Virginia Palmer who is winding up her tour of diplomatic duty in Malawi.
Police fired teargas as MCP supporters regrouped for another electoral protest themed ‘Mutharika Must Fall ‘ and meant to exert pressure on President Peter Mutharika, who has been sworn-in for a second five-year term of office, to step down.
The security officers wanted to prevent the MCP supporters from what they did in their previous march when they broke into Capital Hill, the seat of government and told civil servants to leave.
One MCP supporter identified as Saad Muhajila has reportedly been shot by police and is at Kamuzu Central Hospital receiving treatment.
Protesters carried placards reading “we don’t want His Tippex-ellency President Mutharika”, in reference to the correction fluid allegedly used to alter voting sheets.
Most protesters were dressed in the regalia of the MCP, which is challenging the election outcome along with the UTM Party of immedietae former vice president Saulos Chilima.
Meanwhile, police arrested newly elected Lilongwe City Centre legislator Alfred Jiya, accusing him of mobilising protestors and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.
Jiya was bundled in a police carand taken to Kawale Police Station.
MCP deputy campaign director George Zulu said the MCP are demanding Mutharika to step down while the court case seeking nullification of election results progresses.
Zulu said if the system delays to decide on vote recount, then Mutharika would be forced to resign to pave the way for fresh elections or a declaration of Chakwera, who finished second according to results announced by Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), as the country’s President.
MEC declared Mutharika winner of the presidential race with 1 940 709 votes or 38.57 percent. The electoral body said Chakwera finished second with 1 781 740 votes, representing 35.41 percent of the vote while Chilima, who debuted on the presidential ballot on a UTM Party ticket after falling out with Mutharika last June, was third with 1 018 369 votes or 20.24 percent.
MCP contends that Mutharika “won a fraudulent election” fraught with irregularities, including alleged stuffing of ballot papers with pre-marked ballots and tempering with election results sheets through tippexing.
Political tensions are intensifying in the country following the disputed elections.
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Uwu ndiye umbuli mapeto ya IG wathu mukunena kuti kuthira utsi pa anthu awa mukuthetsa zionetsero aaaaah! Ku Malawi kulibe Police ndithu apa mukuyatsa petro kaya m’malo momangoyenda nawo monga munachitira paja amakalowa ku maofesi ao a boma muja zinali bwino kaya eeeeh! Uyo walamula za teargas wapala moto kudambwe eeeeh! kwesi tere.
Mbusa wa satan akufuna undindo. Zoona zinja amanena kuti mwazi ukha. Pano zikuwoneka chonchi chifukwa a DPP sakutuluka, pamene atuluke ndipamene mwazi ukhe kuti Mbusa akatsire nsembe ndikubweza ngongole yomwe anatenga ya campaign
I will come to that God-forsaken shit hole called Malawi just to visit my grandmother. Ndasintha maganizo. Ndatchatula accounting kumene and I am not ready to pay my huge PAYE to an embarrassing government like that. Chidziko chosasintha olo pang’ono. I think SATANA analiphwisila dziko limelo.
Koma zilikuno
So embarrassing Police service. How dare you are to fire teargas into another country. Maybe you don’t know that An Embassy is representing another country despite being within the country. Am so shocked with the action of our Police service members. You need to understand Democracy.
US embassy being teargassed has proved us to be disorganized in terms of Democracy. Please calm down Our Police let people protest against what victimize them.
tachokani nanu apaa…..embassy ndi another country wachani.ngati ofesiyo ili pafupi ndi pomwe zigawenga zikupanya ziwawa kuponya miyala asawathamangitse ndi teargas? Usi ungauletse kupita mbali ya embassy?
…mwina mwayetsa kuchemelera US embassy akupatsani green card mosavuta….
mbuli iwe
Man mwaikatu umbuli wanu onse pantunda…… kumvetsa chisoni!
Saad Muhajila? A muchewa? Show us his photo. Which village is this terrorist from?
Police should be advised that firing teargas at US embassy is equivalent to embarrassing Malawi Government.
Apa ndiye anyaphaphi mwapanga mistake you will leave to regret.
APM and your police, just so that you’re aware, you have violated USA soil and have been a threat to their ambassador
Tikuthirani Tear gassimunati. Ngati ndi ngongole za kampeni ask simbi to bail you out chakwera