MDF earns praise from Chakwera
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera has hailed the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) for its professionalism in protecting citizens at a time the State is bent on ‘attacking’ citizens with dissenting views.
Chakwera said this at a press briefing in Lilongwe yesterday where he bemoaned continued petrol-bomb attacks against members of the opposition and some civil society leaders.
“Two days ago, a vehicle belonging to the MCP campaign director [Moses Kunkuyu] was petrol-bombed. Eight days before that, the home of Human Right Defenders Coalition (HRDC) chairperson was petrol-bombed.
“Five days before that, the office of the MCP vice-president [Sidik Mia] was petrol-bombed. Six days before that, a truck belonging to MCP district chairperson was also petrol-bombed. Twelve days earlier, it was the MCP office in Blantyre, which was petrol-bombed; only 12 days after the home of the MCP youth director met the same fate.
“Anyone looking at these destructive acts can see the pattern. These are acts of terror, targeting any leader who dares to publicly oppose the corruption and illegitimacy of the [Peter] Mutharika regime,” said Chakwera.
He said failure by police to act on these incidents makes the police an accomplice to impunity that wants to turn the country into a nation “governed not by our laws, but their whims”.
The MCP leader said opposition political parties and HRDC are safe and surviving because of MDF’s professionalism.
“From the inception of our democracy in 1993, the MDF has always acted in the interest of protecting civilians against aggression, even the aggression of their own government. The MDF has always acted in the interest of maintaining constitutional order,” he added.
The press briefing was jointly political bedfellows—People’s Party (PP) and Freedom Party (FP).organised by MCP and their
In a telephone interview, Homeland Security Minister Nicholas Dausi, who is also Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesperson said it is unfortunate that the MCP president is alleging that cadets and State machinery were behind the attacks, urging that police should be allowed to do its investigation without interference.
Dausi hit back at MCP, that all the anarchy going on in the country is as a result of MCP which, he said “out of desperation, is causing havoc to paint a bad picture of the country and government”.
“Just go to any police station and see how many people are seeking police help…more people are being helped by the police. We know MCP and Chakwera are desperate to take over government and all these are tactics to discredit a legitimate leadership,” said Dausi.
He added that the insecurity prevailing in the country is a result of opposition poliltical parties who are hell bent on toppling government. He appealed to Malawians to desist from any temptation to destroy the country in the name of electoral justice, which he said “is merely a trick by the opposition to gain unnecessary political capital”.
