PAC board says demo D-Day today
Public Affairs Committee (PAC) says it will announce its position on the planned December 13 nationwide demonstrations in view of government’s decision to table the Electoral Reforms Bills.
After a three-hour long meeting from around 6pm to 9.20pm in Lilongwe, PAC executive board members last night were non-committal on the way forward on the demonstrations.
But PAC spokesperson Peter Mulomole said in a brief interviews the body will announce its way forward today.
He said: “We had a good discussion and we are going to hold a press briefing tomorrow [today] where we will give an official position. During the meeting, the secretariat presented a report on events that have transpired up to now and the board has come up with resolutions following the presentation.”
The meeting at the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) headquarters in Lilongwe followed a flurry of activities, particularly government’s decision to finally table the contentious 50+1 bill which has since been extended to members of Parliament and ward councillors.
The meeting was attended by PAC officials and members of its board, but without any representation from civil society groups who have partnered with the body on the planned demonstrations.
As the clergy walked into the meeting, it was clear that the majority of the members opposed the move by government to alter the recommendations of the special law commission on the matter by extending the contentious provision beyond the presidential office.
A PAC member, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak, had no kind words for government’s move, describing the move to alter the provisions as “almost treacherous.”
