HRDC suspends Ansah demos to focus on Malawi elections case
Anti-Jane Ansah protest organisers say they have suspended all demonstrations to give attention to the ongoing hearing of the landmark presidential election case.
Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) chairperson Timothy Mtambo has said the election case was important and wanted to give a chance to the protesters to follow the hearing.
The elections case is being broadcast live on radio and TV stations but only audio and not live visuals.
“As a coalition, we are also interested in the court case just as we would want the protesters to follow the hearing,” said Mtambo.
Mtambo said after the hearing, the HRDC will meet to make a detailed plan of wave of protests to force the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson resign following accusations that the pollster manipulated the presidential poll result in favour of president Peter Mutharika.
Earlier, Mtambo said the coalition was planning to hold vigils in airports and borders to ensure no one gets out and gets in the country.
There have been a trail of looting and destruction during the protests with corporates such as Airtel Malawi, CFAO Malawi, Old Mutual, First Capital Bank, Simso Oil as well as several motorists fell victim to the disorder this week.
HRDC leadership’s pleas to protesters to stop the looting and vandalism fell on deaf ears as the vice continued.
In an interview, HRDC vice-chairperson Gift Trapence accused police of deliberately setting out to provoke violent response from the protesters by attacking them.
He reiterated that the protests would continue until Ansah steps down.
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