The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has accused the Tonse Alliance administration of hypocrisy for relaxing a ban on political party gatherings amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

A statement signed by CDEDI executive director Sylvester Namiwa has accused the government of arriving at the decision in view of the forthcoming by-elections.

According to the statement, it is surprisingly that government has maintained the stringent measures on the hospitality industry which directly employs thousands of Malawians, and millions of others indirectly.

“Much as we appreciate that there is need to be revisiting the Covid-19 preventive measures, CDEDI has noted with regret the apparent shifting of goal posts by government as seen in the recently announced measures by the Minister of Health, Hon. Khumbizie Kandodo-Chiponda.”

“It beats everybody’s imagination that the Tonse Alliance administration is trying hard to make Malawians believe that the virus is so sensitive that it spreads faster in the hospitality industry, entertainment, sports and religious gatherings, while it is very slow to spread in political gatherings,” the statement reads in part.

CDEDI has therefore called on the Tonse Alliance administration to stop playing hide-and-seek games with the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.

Government officials are yet to comment on the matter.