Muluzi reprimands UDF youth wing

Human rights groups on Thursday said while it welcomed moves by President Bakili Muluzi to reign in the youth wing of the ruling party, often accused of politically motivated violence, the president had not gone far enough to ensure a safe environment for the opposition. On Tuesday Muluzi rebuked the "Young Democrats", saying the United Democratic Front (UDF) youth wing had "tarnished the image of the party". French news agency AFP quoted Muluzi as saying: "I will not allow the Young Democrats to terrorise people. They are destroying the image of the party and my own because it is like I send them to beat people." Muluzi has in the past stopped short of condemning the "Young Democrats" behaviour, despite growing evidence of their involvement in numerous incidents of violence and intimidation against opposition supporters. His remarks reportedly came a week after five rights groups asked him to disband the "Young Democrats", accusing the youth group of "barbaric" acts against the opposition. "We are glad that the president has finally acknowledged the involvement of the Young Democrats in these acts of violence most of which are politically motivated. However, we hope the president will be taken very seriously on this issue," Director of the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation Ollen Mwalubunju told IRIN. Moreover, the youth group appeared to enjoy immunity from police prosecution whenever they perpetrated political violence, he added. "But apart from this instruction to the youth, the president must also make an appeal to the chief of police to take the necessary steps to apprehend those involved in such acts," Mwalubunju said. The southern African country has increasingly become politically polarised. Central to that process has been an official campaign begun in 2002 to change the constitution to allow Muluzi to run for a third five-year term in 2004. Two attempts to pass a constitutional amendment failed, in the face of widespread civil society protest determined to defend what they alleged was a threat to the country's fledgling democracy. Mwalubunju also noted an increase in the number of assaults on rights activists. "Just three days ago Robeson Chimtengo, an NGO programme manager, was attacked at his home. His organisation has in the past been a vocal opponent of Muluzi's third term bid. We hope that other political parties also receive the president's message that the youth should not used to conduct violence but instead be used for meaningful things in the country," he said.