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Malawi Political Standoff Shows No Sign of Abating

Lameck Masina

   BLANTYRE - The political impasse in Malawi stemming from disputed May
   elections shows no sign of ending. President Peter Mutharika has
   offered to negotiate with the opposition, but opposition parties say
   the president is illegitimate and should step aside. Political tensions
   started rising in May when opposition leaders rejected election results
   that showed President Peter Mutharika winning a second term.

   Since then, a civil rights group, the Human Rights Defenders Coalition,
   has led protests pushing for the resignation of Malawi Electoral
   Commission Chairperson Jane Ansah for allegedly mismanaging the polls.
   Ansah denies the accusation.

   Authorities say the protests, vandalism and violence have affected the
   country's development.

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