Chief Mponela calls for meeting over political violence: Centre for Multiparty Democracy to moderate
A powerful traditional leader in Dowa has called for a meeting today with political stakeholders and security in a bid to end political violence in the country.
Chief Mponela said he was not amused on Saturday that some people blocked the M1 road at Mponela in order to stop president Peter Mutharika’s running mate Atupele Muluzi go to Kasungu to canvass votes ahead of the June 23 court ordered presidential election.
He said he said the meeting, which will be moderated by Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD) and Nice will be attended by all political parties, the police as well as traders and traditional leaders under his jurisdiction.
“I don’t condone any sort of violence be it political or not. I would not hesitate to kick out any person or groups of people involved in violence,” he said.
He said all political parties should be able to campaign in his area without restrictions, saying this is a democratic country.
Dowa police say no one has been arrested for the blocking of the road and burning of tyres.
Muluzi later managed to pass through after the police cleared the road.
Meanwhile, Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD) director Kizito Tenthani has said political parties must genuinely denounce violence.
He reckons “the State President holds the key” to ending violence likely to create no-go zones in multiparty Malawi.
Tenthani believes that these violent acts are sanctioned by senior party officials who fund them.
“The issue of political violence can end if the leaders make a bold statement instead of making that veiled statement. For instance, if the head of State instructs the Inspector General of Police that tomorrow I need a report, arrest and prosecute wrongdoers within a day, it can stop. But what we see is lack of taking responsibility,” he states in quotes reported in the press.
Tenthani’s centre has visited several districts to establish the cause of violence and said the findings are shocking.
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The silence by the duty bearer, MEC, is very loud. This is another area of incompetence this commission has excelled in. Previous commissions could deal with this matter with dicisiveness. Everybody knew there was MEC. The current commission only knows how to cling to power and cry for benefits. May God punish them and all their families
Those were Cadets in the name of M.C.P to turnish the image of Tonse Alliance, if it was like that, the police would arrest them the same day.
Fool others not all of us!
Thanks to Chief Mponela for denouncing MCP violence.