Army barracks to host HRDC, Attorney General talks

Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) officials and the Attorney General court sanctioned talks over peaceful protests have now shifted to Kamuzu Barracks in Lilongwe.

HRDC chairperson Timothy Mtambo has confirmed the talks resumes on Wednesday in the high security Kamuzu Barracks.

“We chose the venue for security reasons. We have trust in our soldiers, we will feel secure there. The MDF soldiers successfully protect our country and they will protect us too,” said Mtambo.

The choice of Kamuzu Barracks as venue for the talks follows grenade scare reports during last meeting at Cross Roads Hotel.

HRDC claimed a man had planted a grenade in Mtambo’s vehicle before he was chased away by HRDC security men, a claim dismissed by the government as fantancy talk as the hotel was well secured by the police.

During the Cross Roads Hotel meeting, the two sides had agreed on some procedures to be followed when holding peaceful demonstrations to avoid a repeat of violence which destroyed some property and injured some people.

The meeting follows an order made by Justice Lovemore Chikopa of the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal that the two parties must, within 14 days, hold negotiations to on how HRDC can exercise the constitutional right to demonstrate without violence and crime.

Section 38 of the Republican Constitution guarantees that every person shall have the right to assemble and demonstrate with others peacefully and unarmed.

The HRDC, which has been holding demonstrations since the announcement of the May 21 presidential election results, wants Ansah to resign to pave the way for investigations into identifying and prosecuting those who supplied Tippex that was used to alter election figures on result sheets.