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Violence marks opening of parliament

    JOHANNESBURG

    A Muslim leader is in critical condition after suffering injuries in clashes on Tuesday between supporters of Malawi’s ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) and supporters of the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA), news reports said.
    Reports said that several others were also seriously injured during the clashes which took place outside parliament on the body’s opening day.

    Reports said that UDF supporters smashed a photo-journalist’s camera, while several other journalists fled to safety after being threatened by the ruling party’s supporters. They added that heavily armed police and other senior government officials showed reluctance to take action to stop the violence.

    Former minister Brown Mpinganjira, founding member of the NDA, told DPA that the violence had been “sanctioned” by Malawian President Bakili Muluzi to “intimidate people into accepting him to stand for a third term of office”.
    Mpinganjira’s claims were, however, brushed aside by the ruling party’s campaign director, Dumbo Lemani, who distanced his party from the fracas, DPA said.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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