Africa-Press – Malawi. The Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD) and the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) have condemned the continued political violence in the country despite efforts to curb the situation.
CMD Executive Director Boniface Chibwana spoke in Lilongwe Tuesday during a training session for officers from the two institutions, organised by the Election Support Network of Southern Africa.
Chibwana said that despite efforts by various stakeholders, there seems to be little progress in ending political violence.
“We recently brought together senior officials from various political parties on violence and have still observed that the violence continues. We will continue to work with parties on peaceful resolutions,” Chibwana said.
On her part, CCJP Projects Officer Glorie Khonje said the institution will ensure that stakeholders are informed about electoral laws.
“We want the youth, men, women and political leaders to understand that everyone needs to commit to ensuring free and fair elections,” Khonje said.
Director of the Election Support Network of Southern Africa, Rindai Chipfunde-Vava, who was also one of the organisers of the event, said it is important to train people before elections to prevent violent incidents.
“When elections are around the corner, we realise that tensions rise. That is why we train officers, especially in hotspots,” Chipfunde-Vava said.
She also said that, through observation, elections in most African countries are highly political and marred by violence, so there is a need for more civic education.
Malawi has witnessed a spate of violence in the run-up to the September elections, where the police have been criticised for failing to take action against the perpetrators.
One of the most recent incidents occurred in Lilongwe on June 26, when a peaceful demonstration organised by Citizens for Credible Elections at Lilongwe Community Centre was brutalised by masked men wielding machetes.
They attacked the protesters and journalists and set vehicles on fire in the presence of police officers and Malawi Defence Force soldiers.
This attack sparked widespread condemnation, with Human Rights Watch being one of the bodies that described the event as a “barbaric act of violence” and criticised the police for their failure to act.
In addition, several diplomatic missions issued a joint statement expressing alarm over the violence, warning that such incidents threaten the integrity and credibility of the upcoming election.
For More News And Analysis About Malawi Follow Africa-Press
