Malawi army gets Chakwera’s salute for professionalism: ‘Police an accomplice to DPP impunity’

Malawi Defence Force (MDF)  has been saluted by opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera for its professionalism in protecting citizens at a time her claimed the State is bent on ‘attacking’ citizens with dissenting views, chiding police as being partisan.

Chakwera  bemoaned the insecurity in the country following the May 21 election dispute with continued petrol-bomb attacks against members of the opposition and some civil society leaders.

He accused the  Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)  youth cadets and State machinery of being behind the attacks.

Speaking at a news conference in Lilongwe, Chakwera accused the police  for being an accomplice to impunity that wants to turn the country into a nation “governed not by our laws, but their whims”.

The MCP leader said opposition political parties and cvil society are safe and surviving because of MDF’s professionalism.

“From the inception of our democracy in 1993, the MDF has always acted in the interest of protecting civilians against aggression, even the aggression of their own government. The MDF has always acted in the interest of maintaining constitutional order,” he added.

Chakwera said there are acts of terror, targeting any leader who dares to publicly oppose the corruption and “illegitimacy” of President Peter Mutharika regime.

“Two days ago, a vehicle belonging to the MCP campaign director [Moses Kunkuyu] was petrol-bombed. Eight days before that, the home of Human Right Defenders Coalition (HRDC) chairperson was petrol-bombed.

“Five days before that, the office of the MCP vice-president [Sidik Mia] was petrol-bombed. Six days before that, a truck belonging to MCP district chairperson was also petrol-bombed. Twelve days earlier, it was the MCP office in Blantyre, which was petrol-bombed; only 12 days after the home of the MCP youth director met the same fate,” he said.

But  Homeland Security Minister Nicholas Dausi has  said MCP and Chakwera are “too desperate” to take over government, saying all these are “tactics to discredit a legitimate leadership.”