By Draxon Maloya.
Malawi (News of The South) – A seemingly cold war has erupted between the Malawi Police Services (MPS) and the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) in on-going nation-wide demonstrations aimed at forcing chairperson of Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Dr. Jane Ansah to step down.
The Inspector General of Police, Rodney Jose, wrote a letter to HRDC Chairperson, Timothy Mtambo, demanding the suspension of the continued protests, citing lack of security officers to manage the protests as one of the reasons.
On Monday, Jose reiterated his demand during a press briefing held at Police Headquarters in Lilongwe, saying that the protests have a window of opportunities to criminals for loot.
He further said, police have no capacity to provide security to life and property.
“They say they are holding peaceful demonstrations. You have seen what has been happening. They have never been peaceful. I respect highly the supreme law and constitutional right to assemble and hold demonstrations.
“I leave this to Malawians. They are good judges to judge if the protests have been peaceful,” he said.
The visibly angry police IG categorically denied being a DPP cadet when he said for unknown reason there appears to be a section of the society that has declared war on the Malawi police.
About two hours after the police’s press briefing that was also attended by Malawi Defense Force Commander, General Vincent Nundwe, HRDC held its own press briefing in the same city, in an apparent response to Jose.
Mtambo said that police have no mandate to bar Malawians from demonstrating, saying they will continue holding the demonstrations until Dr. Ansah resigns.
Mtambo called on Jose to openly declare if the country is in a state of emergency.
“We are not holding demonstrations this week.
This is a week of strategizing on the next mega demonstrations that will take place next week Tuesday in all the cities until Jane Ansah resigns.
“People in the north will meet in Mzuzu, central region will meet in Lilongwe and in Blantyre for people in the south for a mega demonstration” he said.
The HRDC faulted the police IG for saying police has no capacity to provide security to the demonstrators, saying that has nothing to do with the coalition.
He said the letter by the police was wrongly addressed to HRDC, rather would have been delivered to President Peter Mutharika as Commander in Chief.
“If police is not capable to provide security, then the IG must step down for being incompetent,” he said, a call that was turned down by Jose who said only the appointing authorities can tell him to do so.
HRDC is accusing Dr. Ansah of mismanaging May 21 presidential elections whose results went in favor of Peter Mutharika.
Meanwhile the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and United Transaction Movement (UTM) are disputing the elections’ results in court, asking for the nullification of results and call for a fresh re-run.
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