‘STOP DEMOS’ MUTHARIKA RETORTS

President Mutharika has appealed to organizers of the post –election demonstrations to stop, saying the protests have dented the picture of the country and scared away investors.

Speaking on Thursday at a news conference with Malawi media at the United General Assembly, Mutharika said some investors were scared of coming to invest in Malawi because of the current situation which is characterized by violent demonstrations.

Muthatharika has since warned Human Rights Defenders Coalition leaders Timothy Mtambo, Gift Trapence, and also Reverend Mc Donald Sembereka and opposition Malawi Congress Party Leader and United Transformation Movement leaderSaulos Chilima to put the interests of the country above their selfish political gains.

“I should appeal to those who are engaged in this kind of nonsense that is going on in Malawi to stop. If they think that they are destroying Malawi and are hurting me by doing demonstrations they are making a mistake. They are hurting their own country,” said Mutharika.

He added: “Malawi has got a very negative perception globally about peace in Malawi and whether investors would want to come to a country through meaningless and useless demonstrations. So this is my message to all those people Mtambo, Gift Trapence, Sembereka, Chakwera and Chilima to stop.”

Mutharika said that the demonstrations have created a negative image for Malawi globally and that what they are doing is not in the interest of Malawians.

“We are really at the bottom because of the destruction that they are doing in Malawi. I think it is very important that they should stop this nonsense and think for once about Malawi and not their own selfish political ends,” said Mutharika.

Mutharika further said. “I want them to hear this that what they are doing is not in the interest of the country and that it should stop.”

Commenting on this year’s UNGA, Mutharika said the session was successful and that Malawi would benefit from the participation as some investors showed interest to come.

One of the investors is New York business Tycoon Thomas Barry, President and chief Executive officer for Zephyr Management who has shown interest to invest in community technical colleges.

HRDC has been leading in the organization of the demonstrations. Chakwera and Chilima have been participating in some of the demonstrations.