Police in Lilongwe have launched investigations to apprehend individuals who are reportedly buying national identity cards and Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) voter certificates.
Chairperson of Lumbadzi Police Station Executive Committee (SEC), Andrew Banda, said they have received intelligence, suggesting that some politically-connected individuals are buying the said documents to reduce the number of votes for some contenders.
Banda made the sentiments at the anti-political stakeholders meeting at Lumbadzi in Lilongwe on Wednesday.
The anti-political stakeholders meeting was organized by the National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Public Trust with financial assistance from the European Union (EU).
Banda warned that law enforcers will pounce on anyone whose actions and activities could potentially distabilize the electoral process.
“Let me also urge registered voters not to sell the IDs or voter certificates. It’s a crime to sell any of these documents, and should you be found either selling or buying, the law will take its course,” he warned.
On the other hand, Chairperson of Lumbadzi Pastors Fraternal, Bishop Stowell Kumwenda, decried the escalation of political and electoral-related violence, fearing the vice will lead to voter apathy in the upcoming General Elections.
Kumwenda condemned the tendency by some faith leaders to make election prophecies, fearing the tendency would discourage registered voters from casting their ballots, thinking on that a certain candidate has already been endorsed and anointed by God to rule this country.
In his contribution, Felix Mwaungulu emphasized the need to build a network of key players from the grassroots level who can sacrifice their resources and skills to prevent and mitigate political violence.
Therefore, Mwaungulu, who represented Centre for Social Concern (CfSC), proposed thatvan ‘Anti-Political Violence Committee’ should be formed to prevent and mitigate political violence in the area.
“I propose that this committee should bring together representatives from contesting political parties, government agencies, such as the Malawi Police Service, and the civil society, who will be sharing information and coordinate anti-violence efforts. This committee should involve a multi-faceted approach, including research public awareness campaigns, and community engagement to tame violence,” said Mwaungulu, who represented Centre for Social Concern (CfSC).
Speaking earlier, the Station Executive Committee (SEC) chairperson, Andrew Banda, attributed the escalation of electoral violence to inflammatory language some politicians use during public rallies.
Banda also condemned the tendency by ‘seasoned politicians’ to employ the youth to perpetrate violence against their contenders.
In his remarks, the Lumbadzi Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC), Dennis Banda, stressed that community involvement is key in preventing electoral violence before, during and after elections.
Banda therefore supported the proposal to create the anti-violence committee, expressing law enforcers’ commitment to working collaborating with the clergy, local leaders, civil society organizations, and community members to promote peaceful participation in the electoral process and address any potential conflicts.
“The need for political parties, civil society, community leaders and the police to collaborate in addressing potential violence ahead of the upcoming general elections cannot be overemphasized. I believe that through this joint effort, we should be able to develop and implement strategies that will help prevent and mitigate election-related violence and ensure a peaceful electoral process,” he said.
NICE District Programmes Officer for Lilongwe Urban, Hajira Ali, expressed disappointment with the proliferation of electoral misinformation and disinformation, lamenting that this is undermining efforts to achieve peaceful General Elections.
Ali added that false information and fake news are some of the factors triggering political violence in communities.