PAC says violent demonstrations are unacceptable

The Public Affairs Committee (PAC) spokesperson Father Peter Mulomole has condemned the violent protests to force Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Jane Ansah to resign calling for calm and patience among Malawians as they wait for the outcome of the court case on the disputed elections.

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and UTM are disputing results of the presidential election and have taken the matter to court. The two parties and some civil society organisations (CSOs) have supported demonstrations mounted by citizens in some parts of the country.

But the demonstrations changed from peaceful to violent as people in Mzuzu  torched a police unit and destroying property belonging to senior Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) gurus.

They burnt Chibavi Police, and even set free suspects from police cells, ransacked Aunt Tina Lodge belonging to DPP deputy director of operations Big Joe Nyirongo.

The protesters also damaged a vehicle, looted property and stoned the house of former Cabinet minister Grace Chiumia.

The ugly scenes in Mzuzu on Friday, add to those on Thursday in the city, as well as to those in Karonga and Rumphi.

In Karonga, protesters also ransacked public offices, including Northern Region Water Board, district council, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Forestry and a service station shop.

In Rumphi, they stoned the district commissioner’s house, and a vehicle belonging to the DC’s office. Nkhata Bay, one of the districts where demonstrations took place on Thursday, was quiet on Friday.

PAC spokesman said violent demonstrations are “unacceptable.”

Since the results were announced on May 27, the HRDC and the opposition have been organizing protests in cities demanding the resignation of Ansah.

“We want Jane Ansah to resign; if she doesn’t, we will continue with a series of demonstrations across the country until she resigns,” Chairperson for the HRDC Timothy Mtambo told local journalists Friday at the camp in the capital.

Mtambo distanced his organization from any looting or burning of public offices, saying the protests were “peaceful” and that “those inciting violence were not part of the demonstrations.”

Malawi government spokesperson Mark Botoman, however, on Friday told local media that “it is very clear that the looting and destruction of public property is part of the demonstrations and we are going to investigate and bring the perpetrators to book.”

Meanwhile, the Malawi Police Service (MPS) and Malawi Defense Force (MDF) jointly patrolled cities, calming the situation.

Ansah told a local broadcaster recently that she would resign only if the country’s constitutional court orders that the electoral process had irregularities.