People protest

Thousands of concerned Malawians yesterday thronged the streets of Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Zomba to protest results of the May 21 Tripartite Elections and demand resignation of Malawi Electoral Commission chairperson Jane Ansah.

There was a positive response from the public, mostly ordinary Malawians affiliated to predominantly political parties in opposition if the chants against the country’s leadership are anything to go by.

During the demonstrations organised by Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), the marchers, especially in Lilongwe, were joined by Malawi Congress Party president Lazarus Chakwera and UTM Party president Saulos Chilima, who finished second and third respectively to President Peter Mutharika and have since filed petitions in court challenging the presidential election results.

However, while the marches were generally peaceful, ugly scenes of violence crept in, notably in Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu where some protesters clashed with the police while others pulled down billboards mostly sponsored by parastatals and bearing the portrait of Mutharika.