Fears of fresh unrest as Malawi’s activists plan ‘mother of all demos’
Malawians are bracing for fresh unrest after the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) unveiled plans for a series of nationwide protests from next week.
The normally stable and peaceful country was hit by protests throughout last year over the disputed presidential election result, and on Friday the HRDC activists threatened the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) with “the mother of all demonstrations” if they don’t step down in the next week.
The coalition said they have resolved to hold mass demonstration in all 28 districts of the country to allow people exercise their constitutional right to demand MEC chairperson Jane Ansah’s resignation together with all her commissioner.
HRDC has been leading nationwide demonstrations to force Ansah to resign for allegedly presiding over a flawed May 21 presidential election, which was marred by use of correction fluid Tippex to alter figures on result sheets.
The coalition has given Ansah and her team of commissioners an ultimatum — resign by Friday of next week or face a fresh round of demonstrations following a court ruling which has established wrong doing in the management of the May 21 presidential elections.
“We will continue to fight. We will be back on the streets if they don’t resign,” said HRDC chairperson Timothy Mtambo.
Gift Trapence, vice chairman of the coalition added that the commissioner are going to see “the biggest or the mother of all demonstrations in Malawi.”
He warned that protesters would “shut down” the electoral commission offices, adding “this time we are actually prepared to even do vigils in their (commissioners) homes.”
After marathon six-month hearings broadcast on public radio, the Constitution Court on Monday declared that President Peter Mutharika was “not duly elected”.
It cited what it called massive and widespread irregularities, especially the use of correction fluid on ballot sheets.
The court also castigated the electoral commission, ordering an investigation into the “competence and conduct” of its seven members and staff.
Mutharika has slammed the Constitutional Court decision, vowed to appeal and even to run in the fresh election ordered by the judges.
Ansah, a judge at the Supreme Court of Aappeal, and the electoral commission have also filed for an appeal and wants the court to suspend the implementation of the Constitution Court landmark ruling.
She said the court acted in “excess of its powers”.
Political scientist Blessings Chinsinga backs a call to fire commissioners and the management of MEC adding that the court order gives Malawi an opportunity to take its democratic governance back on track.
Chinsinga said Ansah and her commissioners “do not have any iota of credibility” and there should never be anywhere near Malawi electoral processes.
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In all fairness, mec must be dissolved. The chairperson has to go. In fact, jane ansah indicated that should the courts fault MEC, she would resign. Now is the time. There is life after Jane ansha. There is life after these commissioners. If indeed by next week these people don’t show intentions of stepping down, let’s hit the streets again. We have to take them down by force. Akukakamila chani? Everyone can see now that MEC acted wrongly and heads have to roll. It’s normal. Kodi mulibe zopanga Zina? Mpaka zifike poti anthu akupangileni hire ma assasins abale? Pangani manyazi. Let people leave peacefully. Pliz pliz pliz.
Malawi is not moving forward, it’s high time other people try solve it out
DPP will die with everyone else associated with it. Constitution court si size.
Timothy Ntumbo looking for war. First demo, bring it to Chichiri upper stadium tidzakusende
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OOOH, MUKUONA NGATI POLICE CADET WANU UJA ALIPOBE??
MEC and DPP they don’t see any problem with tippex on results sheets.Kumva kukoma ndalama zamisonkho yawanthu.demos should start and make sure kuti atulepasi madindo awo pamodzi ndi Munthalika wawoyo,visionless president.
We are ready for the demonstration and we thank Mtambo and Chimwendo Banda who came here in Nsundwe to mobilise us. They told us that we should stone the army so that they should shoot and kill protesters and in doing so the army will retaliate and start killing civilians and then hell will brake. This will be a mother of all protest and will eventually result in regime change. This arrangement is part of the greater scheme that was made with the judges to restore Chilima because what we expect when hell brakes loose is that APM will collapse or rsign or die like his brother so that Chilima takes over and therefore he will declare a state of emergency and the elections will be suspended until five years. Dont say I did not warn you. Get ready for the final show down because ballots will not make anybody remove the DPP but bullets will.
Tung’ande !!!!
This is the most stupid comment I’ve ever read on this forum. Somehow it only shows how that your BRAINS are useless and it would also not be wrong to suggest that you are a wasted sperm from your late father. It would also have been better if your mother had aborted her pregnancy than having you on this earth.
Don’t think DPP will rule Malawi forever, their time is up . Period !!!
Tung’ande ndi wabodza lenelene kkkkk. Anthu a kwa Nsundwe mwangowadziwa lero kuchokera kalekale amakana zopusa ask all previous police staff akuwuze bwinobwino. There has to be proper hand over of Police staff and Nsundwe people this has been the case for a long time. Find out.
O Tung’ande ndi ochitsilu inu.
‘What’s so civil about war?’……Guns ‘n Roses.
What DPP cum-MEC deliberately chose to forget is that if the executive IGNORES the RULE of LAW with such CONTEMPT often there’s NO ORDER in the country. Even aisilikari panopo Nundweyo azidzanena kuti cha?tikukakhazikitsa “LAW and ORDER”.Law yake yiti? Pomwe KAGURU kena/ MTUNDU wina wa anthu ena cannot follow and respect malamulo omwewo???. The result is ANARCHY of course
Let’s see how many thieves will attend the demos compared to the police or army officers…. Thieves outnumber police or army by 10 to 1…and thieves have the element of surprise as well as camouflaged by hrdc
KABUAL IWE .. KOMASO NGONI SANGA kumachenjera try to annalys things and use your logical not parties or tribes.
you cant see dziko likuwonongeka ndi DPP?
central medicala needs bail out meaning kulibe mankhwala malo osungila makhwala ku lilongwe they need money and yet government owes then. mpinganjila attept to corrupt judges with 20 million dollars, zitsilu anthu osanganiza.
peter and MEC rigged elections.
Corruption paliponse.
MEC mbola muli kuba chinyengo too much
police is not doing work propery
ANTHU AKUMWERA MUDATANI ? UMPHAWI CHANI?
OFCOURSE NOT ALL FROM KUMMWERA ARE fueling the suffering of malawians., mainly DPP ALHOMWE AAS THEY SAID .
WE need them out please ino sinthawi ya chipani ayi koma we are facing unprecidented problems in this country because of DPP and MEC. WE NEED OUR COUNTRY BACK NOT THIS SHIT
I can assure you that your arguments could loudly be heard without using vulgar language!
Machende ako wamva. Ine kwathu sikumwera. Kwathu ku Dedza South wamva. Enough of Tumbuka selfish and lazy
Msika wa pagoliyati uli pa stage yanji. Luchenza Manucipality achitapo chani? Ndi chitukuko chiti chomwe waonetsa ku Thyolo. During the 5 years. Nsewu wa Magalasi 3years osatha mu City Ya bLANTYRE Substandard Road kumagumula chapakati kkkkkk. Mukutiseweretsa tatopa
Tikulilanso alhomwe amene sizikuyenda chonde musatide bola nthawi ya a Malemu Bingu.
All your comments are stupid, Ana a pumbwa inu
This is basically the opposition holding political rally along a certain route instead of at fixed ground. Unfortunately our useless constition allows this nonsense
HRDC have now realised that the ConCourt judgement has so many loopholes. That is why they are trying to campaign for Chakwera through demonstrations. These are fools who do not love our country.
I can agree more. They know the failed Demonic Pastor can not manage on his own. Probably we need to counter them in the streets and let’s see who is going to lose. Am still waiting for someone who can compile all the evils that we experienced under the Crooked Ngwazi and His dirty MCP. My Children don’t know. Let’s go and meet Mburundi in the streets with a purpose and get it.
Achitsiru a Kachala inu, monse anayambira mademo muja bwanji simupitako kunsewu ko??? za ziiiii….. mungalimbane ndi gulu inu?? za u cadet zanuzo bapeperani nazo.