We’re witnessing a disturbing scene in Malawi, where thugs have been sent to intimidate and disrupt peaceful demonstrators exercising their democratic right to demand the resignation of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson, Annabel Mtalimanja, compromised by family ties to the Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
This blatant intimidation is unacceptable and raises serious concerns about MCP’s attempt to drag Malawi back into the dark ages of a one-party era.
MCP has a very dark history, like a shadow that looms over the country, filled with the blood of those who dared to oppose its rule.
Under its dictatorial grip for nearly 30 years, it imposed forced membership, suppressed dissent, and silenced opposition, even feeding people to crocodiles, creating a fearful and controlled society.
The struggle for multi-party democracy was hard-fought; many Malawians risked their lives, and some were killed, to dismantle MCP’s oppressive regime in 1993.
The Catholic Bishops, university students, and workers stood up against human rights abuses, facing violence, arrests, and shutdowns.
Now, despite these efforts, MCP’s recent actions indicate a troubling relapse into those old patterns of control and oppression, as if they never learned their lesson and are unwilling to abandon their old ways.
MCP must be reminded that Malawians chose a path of democracy and freedom, not a return to intimidation and fear. No government should infringe on the people’s rights to hold it accountable.
Democracy is built on transparency, accountability, and respect for public opinion and people’s rights, not on silencing voices through fear.
Malawians are demanding respect for their democratic rights and an end to these oppressive tactics! Malawi will not go back to a one-party system. Democracy must prevail!
As the saying goes, “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” Together, we must ensure that our democracy remains unbroken.
NB: The opinion doesn’t belong to Malawi24 but the author.
