By: ECM’s Stella Zulu
The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) in Malawi has condemned continued cases of political violence and the degree of impunity of its perpetrators as the May 2019 tripartite elections approach.
Expressing disappointment as a governance and advocacy arm of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM), the CCJP has said it strongly believes that peaceful co-existence, political tolerance and unity form the bedrock of social justice promotion and entrenchment of the human rights culture.
This has been expressed in a statement released on the 17thof January 2019, signed by the CCJP National Coordinator, Mr. Boniface Chibwana after observing that there are systematic and seemingly sponsored groups that are unleashing violence on political opponents as the nation approaches May 2019 elections.
Titled Escalation of political violence and growing impunity: a recipe for electoral and civil turmoil in Malawi, the statement has condemned the political violence evidenced by cases oforganized violence by overzealous functionaries and operatives of the governing Democratic Progressive Party in Malawi
“The current tide of political violence coupled with the worrisome degree of impunity among perpetrators is a worrying situation which may make the management of the 2019 polls chaotic and plunge Malawi into serious civil disorder. Political violence has no place in any democratic society and those orchestrating and shamelessly perpetrating it should be condemned in strongest terms possible and face the law, irrespective of their political faces or colours,” reads part of the statement
The CCJP statement says these sad developments continue to manifest despite efforts by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) and other electoral stakeholders in the electoral management cycle to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections. It further argues that the deplorable trend of political violence in the country is counter-productive and is recipe to rendering the on-going electoral processes chaotic and fruitless.
“It is noteworthy to state that the reported burning and destruction of party materials and property, the beating up and intimidation of members of the opposition political parties, using hate and discriminatory speech, harassment of journalists and barring political opponents from attending State functions or events – all these run counter to the common aspirations of Malawians when they voted for multiparty democracy in the 1993 referendum,” continues the statement
The CCJP went on and condemned in strongest terms the current assault of United Transformation Movement (UTM) Youth Director and Member of Parliament Hon. Bon Kalindo on the 16th of January 2019 in Mulanje District by alleged assailants belonging to the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). It has been indicated that, this should not be tolerated by the leadership of the said political party as doing so may imply that the party is sponsoring political violence.
CCJP has also condemned the conduct of the Malawi Police Service in handling the numerous cases of political violence of which the legal mandate of the Police is openly being challenged by powerful political agents. The Commission has reminded them that justice and equality before the law are principal pillars in human rights protection and no one is above the law.
CCJP therefore has demanded that the Head of State, Prof. Peter Mutharika who is also the President of the governing Democratic Progressive Party, should strongly and openly condemn political violence particularly at this critical time; ensure improvement of the handling of reported and alleged cases of political violence by the Police; ensure that the Road Traffic Directorate bars all vehicles with unclear and questionable identities from using the Malawi roads as they cause a security hazard.
CCJP has also called upon leaders of all political party leaders to instill discipline in their youth and other political organs; that they avoid using inflammatory language and hate speech which incite political violence.
The Commission has also stated that all Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) should join hands with the MEC in the on-going electoral processes for fair, free and peaceful elections in May 2019.
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