Several arrests after death during violence

President Bakili Muluzi of Malawi has strongly condemned political violence which resulted in the death of one person in Blantyre’s rural east constituency on Sunday, reports said on Monday.

PANA quoted the president’s press secretary, Wille Zingani as saying that “functionaries” of the opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) were to blame for the unrest. Zingani said the functionaries “teamed up with their supporters to disrupt a campaign meeting” which was scheduled to be addressed by leaders of the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) leaders at Chiweta Full Primary school in the constituency. Reports said the president had instructed the police to investigate the matter and arrest anyone involved in the killing.

Police in Blantyre on Monday arrested an official of the main opposition MCP. Levison Mlauzi, an MCP parliamentary by-election candidate was arrested late on Sunday with five other opposition supporters. Police spokesman Oliver Soko told PANA that those arrested were yet to be formally charged in court because investigation into circumstances surrounding the unrest was still under way. The Blantyre rural east constituency fell vacant following the death of its MP, Iqbal Lambat last year. The by-elections are scheduled for 24 April.

Presidential affairs minister Dumbo Lemani, who is also UDF director general, told journalists that he feared there would be massive voter apathy on election day as people will be scared to go out to vote. The Electoral Commission’s press officer, Fergus Lipenga, said the commission summoned all its members to a crisis meeting in Blantyre late Monday to discuss the violence.