Human Rights Defenders Coalition have asked the Malawi Defense Force (MDF) to take a full control in securing all the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) offices that were sealed on Thursday.

HRDC chairperson for the Eastern Region, Madalitso Banda, who led the protest in Zomba, said they have a “serious intel” that some people are planning to set ablaze the sealed offices with the aim of denting HRDC’s image.

On Thursday, HRDC held demonstrations in all the four major cities in the country and sealed MEC offices as one way of forcing the electoral body chairperson, Justice Dr. Jane Ansah, and the entire commissioners to step down for allegedly mismanaging the May 21 elections.

Banda said: “We are relying on MDF at the moment to look after these offices because we have a serious Intel that some people are planning to set on fire these offices so that HRDC can be blamed but we are well aware of the plot.”

During Thursday’s demonstrations in Zomba, HRDC members crushed with the security personnel when they attempted to block them from entering the District Commissioner’s premises to seal MEC offices.

But after a short period of commotion between the two sides, the demonstrators forced themselves and went ahead to seal the offices using steel nails.

The demonstrations also took place in Lilongwe, led by HRDC chairperson, Timothy Mtambo, while similar protests took place in Blantyre and Mzuzu.

Meanwhile, the electoral commission through its publicist, Sangwani Mwafulirwa, said the shutting down of offices will not dispute their undertakings in any way saying they operate under law.