Andrew Kaufa, smm
The Episcopal Conference of Malawi’s Catholic Commission of Justice and Peace (CCJP) has urged President Mutharika and Malawi Police Service (MPS) to safeguard the civic space and ensure checks and balances between and among various arms of power as the country’s Constitutional provides for.
The CCJP statement released on March 10, 2020, registers concern that Malawians continue to live in political uncertainty since the tripartite elections of May 21 2020, and calls upon the leadership to put the common good in front sectoral of personal political interests.
“CCJP commends our security agencies, particularly the Malawi Defense Force (MDF) for the effort they made to strike a delicate balance in respecting the rights of citizens to demonstrate peacefully and safeguarding the security of the general public and the State,” reads the statement which continues by urging the Malawi Electoral Commission and the Republican President to comply to comply to the Constitutional Court’s determination.
“Alongside the nullification of the Presidential Election results, several orders were duly pronounced by the Constitutional Court to be enacted by Parliament. The orders pertain to the laying down of enabling legal framework for the conduct of fresh Presidential elections within the period of 150 days from the date of the court’s determination.”
While applauding both the Constitutional Court and the Parliament’s Public Appointments Committee (PAC) for doing whatever was in their capacity, the CCPJ has a clear message to the Republican President whose mandate it is to assent to the bills passed by the Parliament.
“The CCJP call upon the Republican President to rise above personal and sectoral interests and act expeditiously on the electoral bills and PAC’s report submitted to him,” CCJP says adding, “the President’s urgency in acting on the electoral bills is paramount in the time in the light of the fresh Presidential elections.”
“This is a crucial step towards resolving the political uncertainty Malawi is in,” CCJP insists.
The coordinators of CCJP from all the dioceses under the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) further call upon leaders of all political parties, traditional leaders, religious leaders, the civil society, the youth, the media and the Malawi Police Service to play their roles in a way that is helpful for the country to become stable and peaceful once again.
“The Malawi Police Service should stop being abused and misused by any authority for advancement of sectoral or personal political interests,” continues the CCJP statement.
Following the Constitutional Court ruling on February 3, 2020, which nullified the Presidential election results and ordered the Parliament to amend the relevant electoral laws as well as assess the suitability and capacity of the commissioners of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to oversee fresh elections within 250 days, the Parliament and PAC finished their part and submitted the bills and report to President Peter Mutharika for his consent. However, there has been no response coming from the President. Instead, the DPP and MEC have appealed to the Supreme Court of Appeal against the Court ruling, accusing the Constitutional court of conniving with the opposition parties to rob him of his victory.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Defenders Coalition have vowed to continue organizing countrywide demonstrations, demanding that the MEC chairperson Dr. Jane Ansah and all commissioners to resign. However, the demonstrations which often end up into violence and vandalism have put the country’s economy at a standstill.
Fresh Presidential elections are scheduled to take place on May 19 2020 and the political parties are already forming alliances and organizing rallies in preparation for the day