People who joined protests with the aim of closing the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) offices went home disappointed as HRDC failed to lock the offices.
One of the protesters Joseph Mseteka said HRDC leaders locked the main entry of a building which houses MEC’s offices on its top floor.
“They told us that they are going to close and lock MEC offices but what we witnessed today is something that angered us much, we feel HRDC takes Malawians for granted.
“We cannot trust them anymore, is that the MEC gate that they locked today,” asked Mseteka.
HRDC chairperson for the North Happy Mhango insisted that the MEC offices had been locked.
He also denied claims that he dumped the protesters without locking the MEC offices.
“Who said I am hiding? Who said I left the place just because am afraid of the protesters? I went to attend other issues after locking the MEC office gate,” said Mhango.
For the first time, since the HRDC started conducting demonstrations in Mzuzu, Malawi Defence Force soldiers fired rubber bullets at protesters after two sides disagreed of where to lock since the MEC offices are on the top floor of a building near MRA offices in Mzuzu.
The soldiers told the protesters not to go close to the building and this angered the protesters who started throwing stones at MDF soldiers.
To disperse the crowd, MDF solders fired rubber bullets.
