Parties condemn election violence in Lilongwe
Four political parties alongside the Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD), the Malawi Electoral Support Network (Mesn) and the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) yesterday condemned in the strongest terms the electoral violence that took place on Sunday evening in Lilongwe after a rumour that a vehicle was carrying marked ballot papers.
The parties that condemned the violence are Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), People’s Party (PP), United Democratic Party (UDF) and the People’s Progressive Movement (PPM).
During the violence which took place at the Lilongwe City Council (LCC) Civic Offices, LCC chief executive officer Richard Hara and Lilongwe district commissioner (DC) Charles Kalemba were harassed by party followers.
In the course of the violence, some MEC clerks who were on their way to their centres, were also attacked and lost their materials, including identity cards.
According to MEC, some of the confiscated materials were burnt by the angry group.
MEC chairperson Maxon Mbendera said the violence began after people had seen an LCC vehicle carrying electoral materials and because it had no tripartite elections (TPE) registration plates, they thought it was being used to rig elections.
Briefing journalists in Blantyre yesterday, Mbendera, who is a judge of the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal, added that the vehicle was also used in the morning to carry electoral materials from Kamuzu International Airport due to lack of vehicles. He said it was used in the evening because there were few vehicles as well.
Speaking after reading a letter that condemns the violence and signed by the four political parties at MEC offices in Blantyre, CMD executive director Kizito Tenthani said the incident is a worrisome because it incites violence.
He said: “All political parties signed the code of conduct which urges them to avoid violence and we are not happy that some of them caused the violence in Lilongwe.
“Such violence is dangerous, especially at this time because if they continue, it might instill fear in people and this can scare away some voters from casting their vote.”
MEC commissioner Reverend Emmanuel Chimkwita Phiri said the incident is a cause for worry, particularly that some MEC staff were harassed before the police rescued them.
In a related development, Hara and Kalemba have resigned as elections coordinators following the incidents.
Said Chinkwita Phiri: “This is worrisome and we are trying to talk to them so that they can resume their duties and finish the job they were assigned to do.”
