DPP cancels Mzuzu anti-judges protests

The governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has cancelled its scheduled anti-Constitutional Court judges protest march in Mzuzu today, Friday.

Party regional governor for the north Kenneth Sanga said the protest march has been cancelled in the anti-DPP region because some cabinet ministers currently attending a meeting of parliament in Lilongwe asked for the cancellation to a later date to enable them participate.

“We will set another date for the peaceful march when the cabinet ministers are free from parliament business,” said Sanga.

Presidential adviser on political affairs Francis Mphepo,  who recently courted controversy when he said President Peter Mutharika will withdraw development projects in the Northern Region for the people’s ‘ungratefulness’,  challenged  DPP will also hold the march in Mzuzu, in the North.

Mphepo said it is  the party’s constitutional right to demand ACB to investigates the five-judge panel comprising Healey Potani, Redson Kapindu, Ivy Kamanga, Mike Tembo and Dingiswayo Madise for allegedly receiving bribes to rule in favour of the petitioners on February 3.

Among other demands in the petition, DPP is also demanding a probe into the alleged relationship between judge Madise and first petitioner Vice-President Saulos Chilima, who was UTM Party presidential candidate in the May 2019 presidential race.

The cancellation of the protest march in Mzuzu comes at a time when law organizations, including the Malawi Law Society and the Commonwealth law institutions have told the DPP to stop the anti-Constitutional Court judges protests.

The Constitutional Court annoyed the ruling party after the court annulled the May 21, 2019 presidential election saying the poll was marred with irregularities and anomalies which were so widespread, systematic and grave that the outcome of the result was seriously compromised.

The court ordered for a fresh presidential election in July.