Political participation is a democratic right at the disposal of all citizens, male and female.
Yet, as the election fever hots up, the country has been experiencing cases of political violence that have not only attracted the attention of various stakeholders, but also created fear among women political participants or those aspiring to do so.
This topic formed part of the discussion on Tuesday evening between directors of women from the country’s six major political parties and their senior members, including secretary generals, aimed at finding solutions to political violence.
Representatives of these key parties, namely the Malawi Congress Party, Democratic Progressive Party, United Democratic Front, Alliance for Democracy, UTM Party and People’s Party, pointed to the need for the Police to be more stern in dealing with political violence. Some observed that the Police have, since the early years of the country’s democratic governance in the mid-1990’s, demonstrated a clear bias towards the ‘government of the day’, by burying their head in the sand when victims of violence are opposition party members.
It is good that among the representatives were political parties that previously allowed the same conduct by the Police, but are feeling the pinch now that they are on the other side. This is not to condone the behaviour, but rather to remind political parties that while they may be enjoying the privileges of being in power one moment, things may turn around and the misconduct being tolerated may come back to haunt them. Would it not be prudent, therefore, that they utilise their power to do the right and legal thing?
It is not debatable that any governing administration has the authority to put an end to these perceptions of bias by ensuring that the police operate independently, whether directly or indirectly. But we write about it anyway, as a reminder of the need to do right by Malawian citizens, whether political players or mere supporters, whose constitutional rights are being infringed on through these biases.
The Constitution is an overriding legal provision, aimed at fostering “an open, democratic and accountable government” as stated in its preamble. Therefore, any efforts to thwart people’s constitutional rights pose a threat to the democratic freedom that Malawians are entitled to, and should not be swept under the carpet.
It is, therefore, concerning to see the Police being increasingly perceived to be throwing the spirit of the Constitution to the dogs. Of late, we have seen opposition political party members’ efforts to exercise their right to peaceful protests being blocked by local councils and the police, who cite the demonstrations as a threat to security or an issue of public disorder. Why can’t the Malawi Police Service simply play their role of providing security during the demonstrations? Why does the Ministry of Homeland Security allow this to happen without holding the decision makers within the system accountable? Why does the governing party seem to think it is alright to pay lip service by condemning the violence when it happens without holding the police accountable for failing to bring the culprits to book?
In any society, law enforcement exists to facilitate the enjoyment of the right to peaceful assembly for all, regardless of their affiliations. Law enforcement should help seek peaceful solutions when any form of violence erupts during peaceful protests, and not be selective in responding to crises. In fact, Police have a critical role to contribute to the advancement of peaceful and democratic societies.
The Police need to heed the concerns by the directors of political parties and execute their duties professionally and fairly. Police are not a political entity, but a government ‘Service’ that exists for all and runs on taxpayers funds.
During the election period, their role as law enforcers is even more critical to strengthening the democratic process by ensuring all citizens feel safe and free to participate in political activities involving their party of choice. It is, therefore, wrong and the Police to be looking the other way amid growing perceptions of their being partisan.
The governing administration and the mother ministry, that of Homeland Security, should take it upon themselves to ensure that the Police Service is able to operate independently, serving all citizens without fear or favour.
As the country inches closer to the September 2025 General Elections, it is imperative that leaders from all relevant institutions, be it political parties or government, continue to reflect on the critical role that the police play in free and fair elections processes, and take the right action when things go wrong. Failure to do so will only breed more violence, and push the few women in the country’s politics further away from the political sphere.
When all is said and done, a compromised law enforcement system is a threat to democracy, and the Police should be the last entity to fail to abide by the law.
