Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the country have threatened to hold another nationwide protest following President Peter Mutharika’s delay to respond to their petition.
The CSOs presented a 10 point petition during the protests held last month and they have noted that Mutharika is yet to start resolving the issues they presented.
In a letter to Mutharika signed by Chairperson of Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) Timothy Mtambo and his deputy Gift Trapence, the CSOs say they expected Mutharika to respond to the demands after returning from his trip to the United Kingdom.
The CSOs note in the letter dated May 28th that Mutharika is yet to acknowledge receipt of the petition but has formed a committee to look into the CSOs’ demands.
The activists have however trashed the setting up of the committee saying many of the demands require Mutharika’s action.
“We do not believe that the issues raised in the peoples’ petition will be resolved by a committee, most issues will require decisive leadership from your office.
“We do not believe for example that it will require the committee to reverse the decision of appointing Mr Jose as Acting IG of Malawi police. We look at the whole idea of a committee as a strategy for buying time.
“We all know that committees and commissions of inquiries in Malawi have failed to solve numerous problems in the country and for now all we want is action.
“Be reminded that our demands are straightforward and require nothing but decisive action from your government,” says a part of the letter.
The CSOs have also reminded Mutharika that he is president because of the trust Malawians placed in him hence he should be accountable to citizens.
They have warned that they will mobilise Malawians to go to the streets if Mutharika continues to ignore the petition.
“If there is no response by the said date, kindly be informed, Your Excellency, that we shall hold again nationwide demonstrations in all the districts.
“This follows the fact that the 90 days stipulated in the 10 point demand petition expires on 30 August, 2018,” says the CSOs.
Among other demands, the CSOs want Mutharika or his administration to cancel the appointment of Rodney Jose as Acting Inspector General of Police, to take back the Electoral Reforms Bills to Parliament, to cancel the dubious K4 billion allocation and reallocate the money to other critical sectors and to fire cabinet ministers Goodall Gondwe and Kondwani Nakhumwa.
