DPP shrugs off banditry accusations: Malawi faces political turmoil ahead fresh polls 

Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has shrugged off accusations that it is behind the current wave of political violence in the country ahead of the Constitutional Court sanctioned presidential election on July 2.

This follows the Saturday attack on Mulanje police station where UTM secretary general Patricia Kaliati and the party director of youth Bon Kalindo had gone to complain about the beating of its monitor in Mulanje.

Police used teargas to disperse angry DPP supporters who were stoning the police station to stop the UTM officials from lodging a complaint.

On Sunday morning, a UTM vehicle which was used by party director of Women for the Eastern region was petrol bombed.

But director of Youth in DPP Dyton Mussa has said the ruling party is peaceful and does not condone violence.

“President Peter Mutharika is a very peaceful person. He does not condone violence, this is why the DPP remains a peaceful party,” he said.

However, Mussa condemned the recent attack on DPP monitors in Dowa by suspected Malawi Congress Party (MCP) thugs, who left the DPP district governor for the distict critically injured.

Meanwhile, DPP secretary general Grezelder Jeffrey says the party has lodged a complaint to the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) on the incident.

“We have given them a detailed account of the incident, including who was involved,” she said.

There is an upsurge of political violence in the country in ahead of the July 2 presidential election.