Peace return after Malawi police, parties meet over political violence

Malawi has tasted resemblance of peace after days of political violence in some areas ahead of the Constitutional Court sanctioned presidential election.

This follows peace talks which political parties’s secretary generals held with the police acting Inspector General Duncan Mwapasa on Friday.

Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD) brokered the peace talks.

CMD executive director Kizito Tenthani said the rising incidents of the political violence was a threat to democracy and could detail the forthcoming presidential election.

Mwapasa condemned the growing political violence.

“People are creating boundaries for their opponents; there is careless use of foul words by politicians and the youth have been turned into instruments of violence,” said Mwapasa.

He said the police will move to bring to book anyone found causing violence ahead of fresh presidential elections.

Tenthani said that  political parties need to preach peace and ensure they take issue based campaign and not promote hatred and violence.

At the moment, according to Tenthani, police has agreed to provide maximum security to all political parties during campaign period.

On her part secretary general for governing Democratic Progressive Party  (DPP) Griezeder Jeffrey has urged people to respect police and desist from violence.

Meanwhile, secretary general for UTM Patricia Kaliati has said the party has advised its supporters to refrain from violence during and after this period.

This follows recent incidents one of which (a petrol bombing incident)  has led to death of three people.