Lilongwe city council clears HRDC for vigil at parliament

Lilongwe city council has cleared Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) for a protest march and vigil at parliament on Monday to put pressure on members of parliament pass the 50+1 related legislation.

DPP members of parliament have been rejecting the bills which would set a new date for the Constitutional Court sanctioned fresh presidential election and prolong the office of the current cohort of members of parliament by a year, among others.

HRDC vice chairperson Gift Trapence said the members of parliament must comply with the Constitutional Court order by passing the bills.

“They should stop the political games they are playing. We want to send a strong message to the members of parliament that Malawians want the electoral reforms bills passed,” he said.

He said the HRDC will hold the protest march in the morning from the community ground to parliament where a petition would be presented before holding the vigil.

DPP operatives on Friday afternoon sabotaged power in parliament as DPP members of parliament boycotted the seating.

Escom spokesperson Innocent Chitosi and parliament spokesperson Leonard Mengezi said their respective institutions were investigating the matter.