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The main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has said it will proceed holding a whistle stop tour and rally in Mangochi District this coming Saturday despite receiving an order by the District Council to call it off.
MCP wrote the council and the Malawi Police Service seeking permission to hold a whistle stop tour on Saturday, December 1, 2018 in the district and later a mass rally at Mbwadzulu primary school ground and permission was granted to them.
But in a twist of event, Mangochi District council has written a letter to MCP asking the opposition party to postpone the rally because Mutharika will conduct a whistle stop tour on Saturday at Monkey Bay in the district.
“I write to request that you postpone the meeting of the president of MCP to a later date because His Excellency the State President will be conducting these meetings in places where the president of MCP also intends to conduct the meetings,” read in part the letter signed by Mangochi DC Dominic Mwandira dated November 29, 2018 seen by faceofmalawi reporter.
Speaking in an interview with Zodiak Broadcasting Station MCP Spokesperson Maurice Munthali has said the party will continue holding the rally despite the order.
Munthali said MCP filed a notice to the DC’s office and the police regarding the rally and the permission was granted to them.
“We have spent a lot in preparing the whistle stop tour and the rally in Mangochi and for the council to come in at the 11th hour to stop as from holding the rally it’s not on. If President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika is the father of all of us will let us proceed with our programme tomorrow.
“Yes! He is the President and need some respect but we also have rights to conduct our rallies in all parts of the country,” Munthali was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile Mutharika whistle stop tour in Mangochi has attracted mixed reactions among Malawians on social media with others describing it as ploy by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to block MCP from holding in rally in the Eastern Region.
