MCP  to reject ‘DPP cadet’ Mwapasa appointment as Malawi police IG

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) executive member Moses Kunkuyu has said  the party will not support the appointment of Duncan Mwapasa as police chief  and that Parliament  should  reject him.

President Peter Mutharika in August named  Mwapasa the interim Inspector General of Malawi Police Service to replace Rodney Jose, who has gone on holiday ahead of his retirement in October.

But addressing a news conference in Blantyre on Thursday,  Kunkuyu said  Malawi Police negligent attitude in condoning  acts  of violence in  their  full view and let alone for throwing  teargas around the  Queen Elizabeth Central  Hospital, a place that should have been spared in such circumstances, fuels to their fears that Mwapasa will not be competent to handle Police for all.

“The conduct of police was unprofessional. They are not for the public but only serving the interests of  ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP),” said Kunkuyu

“Mwapasa has demonstrated that he is not professional. He has  not shown ability to show  provide safety and security to all Malawians,” he added.

Kunkuyu pleaded with MCP legislators and other members of parliament to reject Mwapasa’s appointment.

Meanwhile, a petition by Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) asking parliament to reject the appointment of Duncan Mwapasa as the top cop in the country among others, was read in the National Assembly on Thursday.

The petition was tabled in the House by MCP legislator Richard Chimwendo Banda who  read what HRDC   argue that under his belt as  deputy police chief, Mwapasa failed to protect the abduction and killings if people with albinism and also that he failed to keep peace during protests, agitating protestors with firing live bullets in support of DPP administration.

Parliament of heard the petition claims that Mwapasa had  a hand in murder of Polytechnic student activist Robert Chasowa and that he is named in the Commission of Inquiry report.

Chimwendo Banda said the HRDC petition state that Mwapasa is a “confessed DPP cadet” whose appointment is based on political patronage, nepotism and “politics of poverty of ideas” rather than on merit and professionalism.

Reads the petition: “Mwapasa’s appointment is clearly a typical President Mutharika’s ploy to maintain the Malawi policeservice under DPP capture as the expense of public interest.”

However,  Mwapasa said he is not a DPP supporter.

Instead, he promised Malawians “a very professional and non-selective police service” which ensure people’s lives and property are protected.

Mwapasa comes from Thyolo, a DPP stronghold. He first served as guard commander for former president the late Bingu wa Mutharika.

Shortly after Bingu’s death April 2012, he was posted from State House to Rumphi Police as officer-in-charge.

Mwapasa was one of the 11 people detained on treason charges during Joyce Banda’s regime and was later indicted by the police. The incumbent named him his guard commander in 2014 and promoted him to deputy IG responsible for administration in 2015.

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