The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has said they stage demonstrations at State House this week calling for resignation of embattled Malawi Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Jane Ansah.  

On Friday last week, the demonstrators who marched to Capital Hill, did not deliver their petition despite the presence of Director of Administration in the Office of the President and Cabinet Rashid Ntelela.

According to HRDC chairperson Timothy Mtambo, their petition was already delivered to government and that their presence at Capital Hill offices was a just warning.

“The petition was already delivered, the petition is with the government, there was no point that we should give them another petition, so we just came to warn them, remind them that they should not take us for granted,” said Mtambo.

However, Mtambo said next week`s demonstrations they will be destined to State House with an aim of requesting President Pater Mutharika to fire the MEC Chairperson.

“Next week we are going to the State House, we want the authority of Jane Ansah leave, we want Peter Mutharika to fire Jane Ansah, if he doesn’t want to do that, and we will hold a vigil right at the State House,” said Mtambo.

National Police Spokesperson Senior Superintendent James Kadadzera commended the demonstrators for protesting peacefully throughout.

“We can say that today`s demonstrations have been peaceful, because we have not registered serious issues of misconduct from the starting point [Lilongwe Community Ground] to Capital Hill, so generally they have been peaceful,” he said.

Kadadzera has also applauded the coordination between Malawi Police Service and Malawi Defence Force in ensuring that the demonstrations were peaceful.

“I would also like to thank the coordination between Malawi Police Service and Malawi Defence Force, it was excellent and we always join hands in strengthening safety and security in our country,” he said.