HRDC to hold 3-day nationwide demos, vigil at Parliament

Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has announced plans for three-day nationwide protests starting Wednesday this week against President Peter Mutharika.

HRDC chairperson Gift Trapence said on Sunday that  the coalition will mobilise three million people for the march from Wednesday to Friday.

Trapence said they have resolved to hold a three-day demonstration to allow people exercise their constitutional right to demand  an immediate resignation of Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chief elections officer Sam Alfandika and the technical team, saying that they should not be part of the the team to manage the  fresh presidential election.

The demonstrations will include a vigil at Parliament building to force Parliamentarians to set a date for the fresh election.

HRDC has been leading nationwide demonstrations to force chairperson Jane 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 demonstrations have in some cases been marred by looting and violence.

Ansah, a judge of the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal, resigned last month, one year later after the court  found her leadership to have failed to discharge its duties.