Cdedi slams political violence ahead of Malawi fresh elections
Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (Cdedi) has condemned political violence and challenged President Peter Mutharika to rise above ‘petty partisan politics’ to push for law enforcers to deal with perpetrators pf violence ahead of the fresh presidential election.
Cdedi executive director Sylvester Namiwa, in a statement, also urges Mutharika to desist from making ‘careless and insensitive’ remarks by shifting the blame to the opposition parties as the source of the violence in some parts of the country.
Namiwa, a former State House Press Officer, expresses concern that Mutharika’s silence in the recent developments happening in the country has been ‘so deafening’such that it can easily be interpreted that he is endorsing the violence.
“Cdedi, therefore, will not hesitate to join some sectors of society that have described the President as an absent leader, or indeed as someone who is sleeping while on duty. The President’s conduct poses a threat to national unity, peace, law and order. We are calling upon him to wake up and steer the ship to safety before it wrecks,” says Namiwa in the statement.
“We are calling upon President Mutharika to rise up to the occasion by among many others tame his notorious DPP cadets, desist from making careless and insensitive remarks and let free the police to carry out its constitutional mandate to protect lives and property of Malawians in order to bring sanity in the country, which is slowly, but surely degenerating into total chaotic nation,” he adds.
Namiwa is also challenging the youth to desist from being used as perpetrators of politically-sponsored violence, warning that time shall come when they shall be held accountable for their actions personally.
“Perpetuators of politically sponsored violence ought to be reminded that the advent of the advanced technology means readily available evidence that can be used in a court of law, hence the need for them to think twice before accepting to be used by greedy and failed politicians to cause unnecessary havoc and unrest in the country,” he warns.
Namiwa has also faulted the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) for remaning silent as the rate at which violence is occurring continues to rise each passing day.
He says MEC’s conduct is disturbing and regrettable.
The Malawi Police service is supposed to apolitical not taking sides and remain neutral. But the coming of the Malawi Police as providers of Presidential security and guards since multiparty democracy replacing the Malawi Young Pioneers of late Dr Hastings Banda has changed the dynamics.
Since Muluzi became the multiparty President the Malawi Police and Malawi Army provides the most of Presidential security as body guards etc.
When Bingu Mutharika was the President he brought in retired Inspector General of Police Mukhito as his chief of staff. And he is still there as such. Mukhitos and other police operatives at State House have politicised the police service. Bringing guard commandersand police structures and operatives that bring politics is the police making the service compromised and unprofessional. People talk of Norman Chisale as a personal bodyguard of Mutharika and he has brought disrepute in the services and unprofessionalism because of bringing a personal touch and misbehaviour and indiscipline to the job. Hence the whole Malawi Police service has lost its professionalism because they have tended to be political serving the master and not the state.
What needs to be done when the MCP and UTM wins the rerun is to do a clean up of the Police Service from the top to the bottom. Cleansing of all the unqualified policemen and cadets from this rotten DPP cadres and bring really deserving men and women. Because at the moment the Malawi Police service are not serving the nation but the incumbent president.
Even if it means hiring from overseas like the British government police chief constables to come on secondment and retrain the entire Malawi Police so it becomes professional again.
The new government would as well do the same with other government institutions like the Army and civil service,the Reserve bank of Malawi,MRA,ACB etc.
Live only the Judiciary alone as it is the only arm of government that had been proven to be strong and transparent in the handling of Constitutional court challenges.