Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on authorities to investigate brutal attacks on peaceful demonstrators by a group of panga-wielding thugs last Thursday to enhance credibility of the September 16 General Election.
In a statement yesterday, HRW senior Africa researcher Idriss Ali Nassah said police’s unwillingness to intervene to stop the violence during last week’s protests in Lilongwe raises grave concerns about Malawi’s ability to conduct the September 16 General Election in a fair and impartial manner.
“For Malawians to have confidence in the fairness of the upcoming election, they need to be sure the police will respond promptly and impartially to threats or acts of violence, no matter who is responsible,” reads the statement.
HRW added that government and law enforcement agencies are responsible for upholding the fundamental rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and for ensuring that demonstrators can safely protest.
Panga-wielding assailants descended on protesters from Citizens for Credible Elections who had gathered at Lilongwe Community Centre ground to demand the resignation of Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja and chief elections officer Andrew Mpesi.
Political pundit Wonderful Mkhutche also expressed worry yesterday that professionalism of security agencies has been compromised.
“Imagine, days after the violence, no one has been arrested despite pictures of the perpetrators circulating. They have to be professional and remember that they are serving Malawians, not the government,” he said.
After the incident, President Lazarus Chakwera said he expected a preliminary report on findings from both ministers of Homeland Security and Defence upon his return on Monday from Nigeria.
Meanwhile, opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and civil society group Citizens for Credible Elections have warned MEC to expect more protests if it does not honour their request for an audit of its system.
MEC spokesperson Sangwani Mwafulirwa is on record as having said the electoral body received the CfCE’s petition calling for the resignation of Mtalimanja and Mpesi and an audit of the Electronic Management Devices (EMS).
The electoral body has maintained that granting opposition parties and CSOs their wish to have an independent audit of the EMDs would compromise security of its system
