NGOs suspect conspiracy in MEC fire
Two human rights’ groups have expressed doubt on the genuineness of the fire incident that destroyed disputed votes for Lilongwe City South East Constituency at the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) warehouse in Lilongwe on Monday night.
Unknown people set ablaze the warehouse where assorted election materials were stored.
Security guards around the premises during the incident alleged that the warehouse was gutted by four unknown people who reportedly identified themselves as governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) monitors while one said was from the National Intelligence Services (NIS).
However, MEC spokesperson Sangwani Mwafulirwa said the electoral body was treating the incident as a normal fire accident until its cause is established.
But reacting to MEC’s statement, the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) and the Centre for Development of People (Cedep) expressed suspicion over the fire, saying they believe it was “some work of conspiracy”.
“Looking at the time of the event, CHRR and Cedep can’t help getting suspicious of some underhand in the whole incident,” CHRR and Cedep said in a statement signed by executive directors, Timothy Mtambo and Gift Trapence, respectively.
The two observed that the fire had denied the area’s constituents and Malawians in general the truth on who was the legitimate winner and expect the police to exercise their utmost professionalism and integrity when investigating the matter.
At the time of the fire, armed police officers were reportedly at the scene and did nothing as the suspected arsonists jumped into a waiting Toyota Carina vehicle with a red number plate.
