The United States Embassy in Malawi has urged politicians to commit to non-violence in the lead up to the May 2019 elections.
In a statement, US Ambassador to Malawi Virginia Palmer said the US is concerned by incidents of political violence.
She said the acts of violence will undermine Malawians’ confidence in the political system and jeopardise the credibility of the May polls.
The US ambassador however commended the country’s political leaders for condemning the recent acts of violence including the targeting of women.
Palmer also called upon the Malawi Police Services to swiftly investigate and prosecute all acts of violence in a non-partisan manner.
“We encourage MPS senior leadership to support officers doing the hard work of maintaining peace in the communities and urge political leaders to remove those responsible for encouraging violence from positions of responsibility.
“We stand with all Malawians in calling for a free, fair and violence-free election,” she said.
Earlier this month UTM legislator Bon Kalindo was assaulted by Democratic Progressive Party youths known as cadets while Malawi Congress Party member Edward Govati was attacked last Sunday by the same DDP youths.
Last weekend, a man and a woman belonging to UTM were forced to take off their T-shirts leaving the woman in her underwear and the man half naked in Mangochi district.
On persons with albinism, 55-year -old Yasin Phiri was killed in Nkhatabay district on New Year’s Eve while a one-year-old baby was kidnapped in Karonga last week.
