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Malawi Protesters Call for Electoral Commission's Head to Step Down

Lameck Masina

   LILONGWE - Nearly 15,000 opposition supporters brought business to a
   standstill in the capital Lilongwe as they marched to the Capitol Hill,
   the seat of government offices.

   They wanted to present a petition, demanding the resignation of
   election commission chief Jane Ansah. However, government
   representatives stayed in their offices.

   Human Rights Defenders Forum deputy chairperson Gift Trapence said
   protesters will maintain the pressure until Ansah resigns.

   "If she is not resigning we are coming back into streets. When going
   back into streets, we are not going anywhere. We will have vigils even
   at her own house," he said.

   The Malawi Electoral Commission denies any vote-rigging in the May 21
   election.

   The MEC declared Mutharika won re-election with 39 percent of the vote,
   while opposition Malawi Congress Party leader Lazarus Chakwera was a
   close second with 35 percent.

   Vice President Saulos Chilima was third with 20 percent.

   Both Chakwera and Chilima, who are challenging the results in court,
   joined the Thursday protests.

   "This is about Malawi," said Chilima speaking to reporters. "Dr.
   Chakwera is Malawian, I am Malawian, so we have joined fellow Malawians
   to demonstrate against evil. We are not happy with the way the
   elections were managed, therefore we have to demonstrate that we are
   not happy."

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