Malawi Council of Churches call for peaceful electoral process

The Malawi Council of Churches (MCC) says it has learnt with shock the growing tensions and political violence arising from political misunderstanding within and between political parties.

MCC is an ecumenical organisation made up of various Christian member churches.

“All political leaders and aspirants (should) desist from actions, words and tendencies that propagate, condone, and promote any form of violence within their political parties, against other political parties, and  tolerating impunity against institutions of law and order,” says MCC in a statement made available to Nyasa Times.

The MCC also says traditional and community leaders should refrain from threatening, barring, denying or bad-mouthing politicians and indeed anybody in their communities for holding a different political opinion and membership.

“Religious leaders (should desist) from preaching hate against or encouraging denigration of anyone with a contrary political view which inflames violence,” says the statement.

The statement further say members of the community should desist from engaging in unruly, unconstitutional and inhumane practices that violate the self-respect, dignity, peace, and togetherness of any person or people that belong or don’t belong to any political movement other than theirs.

The statement says Malawi is a democratic and multiparty state that is God-fearing, and chose a governance system that promotes the rule of law, provides for the free rights to expression, association, enjoyable and meaningful livelihood, property and political opinion, amongst many other rights.

The Council therefore strongly condemns the recent and other acts of violence demonstrated at the current sitting of Parliament, within, outside, and between political parties.

The statement, signed by MCC executive board chairperson Bishop Fanuel Emmanuel Mangani and the board’s secretary general Bishop Dr. Gilford Immanuel Matonga reiterates that every citizen in the country has the right to make a choice which political party or organisation to belong to.

“Every Malawian has the right of opinion and express that opinion without fear or favour, without force, pressure or threat…every person has the right to support any political party or political person,” says the statement in part.

The MCC calls on political leaders to embrace a position of true leadership and to learn to resolve differences in a mature, peaceful and nation building manner.

The statement says violence promoting leadership has no place in the democratic, multiparty and peaceful Malawi.

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