Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has organized demonstrations to take place on June 20 aimed at forcing Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Chairperson Justice Jane Ansah to resign.
The coalition gave Ansah 14 days to step down but the MEC chairperson refused saying she can only be removed by President Peter Mutharika.
According to HRDC, the protests will take place in Lilongwe, Blantyre, Zomba and Mzuzu.
Speaking at a press briefing today, HRDC’s Timothy Mtambo, Gift Trapence and Billy Mayaya said they want Ansah to resign due to her commission’s failure to manage results in the May 21 elections.
“We further demand that the whole MEC commission should honorably resign because they cannot be spared from the mess,” Mtambo said.
In Lilongwe, the demonstrations will start at community ground via Mchesi, Central Hospital Roundabout, Lingadzi Roundabout, Parliament and end at civic offices where the protesters will deliver a petition.
In Blantyre, they will commence at upper stadium via High way and deliver the petition to Blantyre District Council offices.
In Mzuzu, demonstrators will march from Katoto via Mzuzu High Court roundabout and then deliver the petition to Civic Offices.
While in Zomba, they will start at Community Ground via Mponda Primary and direct to Zomba District Council to deliver their petition.
Recently, HRDC wrote a letter to Ansah saying the public at large has lost trust and confidence in her stewardship of the electoral commission.
In the letter which was signed by HRDC National Chairperson Mtambo, the coalition said Ansah has become a subject of international ridicule because of the way she mismanaged the results in favor of her preferred candidate while subverting the will of ordinary Malawian voters.
They added that many observers raised red flags on malpractices and irregularities including tipp-exed result sheets, denying copies of results to monitors and electoral staff being found with pre-filled results sheets.
