Human Rights Defenders Coalition(HRDC) has responded to president Peter Mutharika’s move to stop protestors from sealing airports and boarders as he has given orders to Malawi defense Force (MDF) soldiers and Malawi Police to use all the necessary force.
Mutharika, during the commission of the warships in the marine department for MDF ordered the security agencies to do anything they can to stop the protestors from occupying the said demonstration destinations.
Mutharika continued by saying that those to continue with the demonstrations should not say they were not warned.
Responding to Mutharika’s speech, HRDC has said Mutharika is not above the law and is not the law himself.
HRDC vice chairperson Gift Trapence said if Mutharika wants to declare state of emergency, he should follow due process.
“HRDC will not sit down and watch people’s rights being curtailed. We will seek legal redress to such decrees and impunity until Jane Ansah resigns. The president should know that HRDC is non-political and is not influenced by any interests other than the best interests of Malawians,” Trapence said.
HRDC has slated August 26 – 30 as days of demonstrations whereby the boarders and airports are the destinations for the protests calling for the resignation of Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Jane Ansah for mismanaging May 21 elections.
