Fears over rising political violence

Political violence is on the rise in Malawi as political divisions deepen ahead of elections in 2004, a new report by the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has warned. The survey by the state-appointed independent organisation said that the politicisation of ethnicity and regionalism was encouraging violence and discrimination. Hate speeches by political leaders, the fragility of democracy and the rule of law, and Malawi's underlying poverty and illiteracy have helped drive intolerance, the commission said. "We want to establish the real causes and establish solutions to the prevalence of human rights violations, discrimination and related intolerance which are on the increase in our country," said Emiliana Tembo, MHRC executive secretary. She noted that complaints to the commission of beatings and harassment on political and religious grounds were running at levels normally seen at the height of election campaigns, even though polls were not for another two years. The failed attempt earlier this year by President Bakili Muluzi to amend the constitution to run for a third term, condemned by the church and civil society groups, has raised the political temperature in Malawi. Opponents warned that the democratic gains won in 1994 with the end of the dictatorial rule of Hastings Kamazu Banda would be threatened. Human rights NGOs have been quick to blame the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF's) militants, the "Young Democrats", for perpetrating much of the current violence, with the police allegedly choosing to look the other way. David Nungu, director of investigations for MHRC, said the commission intended to investigate the allegations of state-sponsored violence. "It'll form the part of the peace building process emanating from public inquiry into political intolerance," he said. Among the recent high-profile cases was an attack last week on Brown Mpinganjira, the leader of the opposition pressure group National Democratic Alliance (NDA). He was ambushed at a police roadblock just outside the capital Lilongwe. "We had very successful rallies in Mchinji and Dowa. We were coming from another rally at Chinsapo, Likuni and had decided to drive straight to Blantyre. A white Prado without number plates overtook us at high speed and we found it parked next to the police roadblock," Mpinganjira, a former senior cabinet minister, told IRIN "The police asked us to get out of the car. We saw close to 12 people carrying metal bars, sticks and stones. I then told my driver to proceed. But they pounced on us and smashed windows on the right hand side of our vehicle. Luckily we drove away at high speed. "They intended to kill me. They're coming for me. [President] Bakili [Muluzi] wanted to kill me. Yet the police were part and parcel of it all," said Mpinganjira, who has been in and out of police custody since he was axed from the cabinet in 2000. A second NDA vehicle was held up at the roadblock but managed to turn around and sped away to Lilongwe police station. "These thugs followed them to the police yard. One of our colleagues was stabbed in the back and shoulder. The car was smashed, people were stabbed and robbed inside a police yard. And these people had the audacity to fire in the air in the police yard. Our car is still at the police yard as I speak to you now," Mpinganjira said. An eyewitness, Lawrence Mlambwaza, alleged the NDA team was attacked by the Young Democrats and the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB). According to Ollen Mwalubunju, executive director for the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), ruling party militants were acting with impunity. "We have witnessed the Young Democrats beating up opposition politicians," he said. "Does it mean the law that we have only protects members of the ruling party? We appeal to the state president to discipline members of his party. He has a greater role to play." Faustace Chirwa, executive director of the NGO Women's Lobby said efforts to advocate peaceful coexistence were not working. "All the efforts to advocate for non-violence have failed. On a serious note, we do not have a direct answer to the problem. But we'll keep on lobbying the perpetrators, including the president, who are promoting violence because we fear the repercussions," she said. Paul Maulidi, the UDF's deputy secretary-general told IRIN that his party's policy was to condemn violence. "But you must understand that this is politics. In politics, you're dealing with people's emotions. When they hear you castigating the president, they'll hit you. Normally those things happen outside the knowledge of the political leaders. It's not the position of the party. And those things happen everywhere, not only in the UDF. If we get evidence [of violence], we have a disciplinary committee," he said.