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| National |
| Pac to intensify political vigilance |
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by
Pilirani Semu-Banda, 29 July 2003
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07:48:31
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The Public Affairs Committee (Pac) on Friday agreed to intensify civic education on the rule of law, good governance and human rights during religious ceremonies in churches and mosques.
Head of Programmes for Pac Robert Phiri said the meeting, which was organised following concerns over “serious issues of bad governance” in the country, observed that people lack information on developments on these issues and that it is the role of religious organisations to ensure that they get the information.
“What this means is that the country needs a vibrant civil society and it does not mean that Pac is taking any political sides,” said Phiri.
He said this will be done to ensure that people are not taken advantage of and used by a few people.
He said the meeting, which engaged police officers as a way of addressing the issue of safety and security in the country, also agreed that there should be continued engagement between religious leaders and the police to ensure that every person is safe.
Phiri said the police were engaged due to frequent reports of all kinds of violence including political violence.
The meeting was, among other people, attended by top representatives of religious groups.
These included CCAP general secretary (Blantyre Synod) Reverend Daniel Gunya, Muslim Association of Malawi official Sheikh Sherif Imran, Livingstonia Synod general secretary Reverend Morris Munthali, a representative of the Evangelical Association of Malawi Reverend Charles Nakata, Reverend Jeremia Chienda also of the CCAP and Alhaj John Likonde of the Qadiria Muslim Association.
When opening the meeting Pac chair Boniface Tamani said Pac’s feeling is that there are a lot of challenges facing Malawi since the democratisation process has been jeopardised by organised political violence especially from the UDF through its Young Democrats, the use of Television Malawi and MBC as instruments of suppression and lack of respect for the rule of law.
He said political violence is indicative of primitive politics and that Pac does not want to see it in 2004 general elections.
The meeting was a national round-table conference on human rights and safety. Another round-table conference for all registered political parties will be held on the same issues and on elections in September this year.
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