HRDC says Ansah must resign if PAC talks are to be successful
Post-election protests organisers say the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) initiated dialogue to end the heightened political crisis can be successful only if Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chair Jane Ansah resigns.
Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) vice chairperson Gift Trapence has said this Friday as PAC officials were in closed door meeting with President Peter Mutharika at Sanjika Palace to avert a full-fledged political chaos.
“As HRDC, what we want is Jane Ansah to resign. We will stop the demonstrations only if Jane Ansah has resigned. This is the message that we told Dr. Bakili Muluzi as well,” said Trapence.
PAC is expected to meet HRDC officials in a couple of days to persuade them stop organizing the protests which at times have turned violent.
But Trapence said it is impossible to stop the demonstrations before Ansah resigns as Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson.
The country has been plunged into the political crisis following a highly disputed presidential poll which the opposition and some rights activists say MEC connived with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to manipulate in favour of Mutharika.
Mutharika, the DPP, Ansah and MEC dispute the allegations of vote result manipulation and vote rigging.
Political analyst Mustafa Hussein wondered if PAC can do anything to bring political sanity in the country before a ruling on the landmark poll case.
“The matter is in court. The matter is with the judiciary now. There isn’t much the talks can do now,” said Hussein.
Opposition leaders Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi Congress Party and UTM’s Saulos Chilima are challenging the presidential poll result in the Constitutional Court.
Good demand – let her resign.
Bwana Hussein these are 2 different issues the court has no case with Ansah but electoral flows but citizens dont want untrustworthy Ansah to continue occupying their MEC Office helm.