Global rights defender Amnesty International (AI) has dared presidential candidates in the country’s September 16 General Election to commit to addressing human rights challenges.
AI made the position yesterday in its human rights manifesto outlining eight priority areas for an incoming administration. The focus areas include freedom of expression and association, right to food, women’s rights, abolishing of death penalty and protection of persons with disabilities.
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Further, AI called on the administration that will form the next government to review laws such as the Electronic Transactions and Cybersecurity Act 2016 following concerns that it is being used to suppress peaceful dissent.
The rights body also wants the next administration to take strong measures to protect freedom of peaceful assembly, implement the Gender Equality Act while reforming discriminatory laws and respond to the impact of climate change on food security.
AI regional director for East and Southern Africa Tigere Chagutah said the leadership must prioritise protecting and upholding rights, ensuring equality, dignity and inclusion for all.
He said: “The recommendations outlined in the human rights manifesto are not exhaustive, but they provide the incoming administration with a roadmap to advance human rights as a foundation for real change.”
But local human rights activists Michael Kaiyatsa and Gift Trapence yesterday cast doubt on political will to act on the recommendations after the elections.
However, Kaiyatsa, who is Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation executive director, said the priorities reflect longstanding demands by local civil society, but have been repeatedly ignored.
He said AI’s manifesto highlights just how far Malawi is from meeting its constitutional and international human rights obligations.
“Unless there is serious pressure from the public and a clear demand for accountability, there is a real risk these issues will once again be pushed aside,” said Kaiyatsa.
On his part, Trapence said the next government must ensure that constitutional bodies that promote human rights are fully funded and strengthened.
Meanwhile, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) secretary general Peter Mukhito and People’s Party (PP) secretary general Ben Chakhame said yesterday they are committed to safeguarding the rights of all Malawians.
Mukhito said during the post-2019 presidential election protests, the DPP administration did not in any way stop people from demonstrating.
In their manifestos, the PP, DPP, Malawi Congress Party (MCP), United Democratic Front (UDF), and UTM Party have made varying commitments on human rights.
The UDF pledges to provide a regulatory environment for media that is free of political control, UTM promises to protect freedom of speech and access to information while the MCP commits to abolish the death penalty.
The DPP pledges to adequately fund bodies responsible for promotion and protection of human rights while the PP promises to retrain police officers on human rights and strengthen protection of women and promote rights of persons with disabilities.
