Malawi: Police disband press club meeting

IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
> _________________________________________________________________
>
> ALERT - MALAWI
>
> 25 June 2002
>
> Police disband press club meeting
>
> SOURCE: Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Windhoek
>
> (MISA/IFEX) - On 20 June 2002, police in Malawi's largest city Blantyre
> stopped a series of public debates organised by the Lilongwe Press Club to
> discuss the proposed amendment to the Malawi Constitution regarding the
> limits on the president's term in office.
>
> The debates were supposed to be held in the three regional centres of
> Blantyre (South - 20 June), Lilongwe (Central - 21 June) and Mzuzu
(North -
> 23 June) under the theme: "The merits and demerits of changing Section
83(3)
> of the Malawi Constitution".
>
> Lilongwe Press Club publicist Don Kulapani said in an interview with
MISA's
> Malawi chapter (Namisa) that 30 heavily armed paramilitary police
> accompanied by armoured vehicles sealed the Blantyre venue, barely an hour
> before the debate, and turned away anyone who went to the venue.
>
> Kulapani stated that Club Secretary General Peter Kumwenda was called to
the
> Lilongwe Hotel Manager's office, where he encountered two policewomen.
> Kulapani said the policewomen told Kumwenda that the Lilongwe debate had
> been cancelled because it was a "threat to security" and that the issue
> would be discussed in Parliament and not at public debates.
>
> Kulapani said that when the two sides failed to agree, the policewomen
took
> Kumwenda to their regional office where he met police commissioner Lot
> Dzonzi and a Central Region commissioner. According to Kulapani, the two
> police officers recited the reasons given earlier by the policewomen.
>
> On 21 June, a contingent of ten heavily armed paramilitary police, stood
> sentry at the gates of the hotel to enforce the ban. Just one day before
the
> Mzuzu debate, Northern Region Police Commissioner Milward Chikwamba called
> Kulapani to tell him about a ban on the debate. Kulapani said Chikwamba
> accused the club of being used by donors to destabilise Malawi. The
debates
> were funded by the United States Agency for International Development
> (USAID).
>
> BACKGROUND:
> On 28 May, Malawi President Bakili Muluzi ordered the army and the police
to
> deal with anyone involved in organising or participating in any
> demonstrations for or against the constitutional amendment.
>
> A week later, the High Court in Blantyre granted an injunction to
religious
> groups, civil society and concerned citizens against the presidential ban.
> However, at a press conference, President Muluzi dismissed the injunction
as
> "irresponsible and highly insensitive."
>
> The court has since reversed its decision, following an application by the
> attorney general and minister of justice. The ban still stands.
>
> For further information, contact Zoe Titus or Kaitira Kandjii, Regional
> Information Coordinator, MISA, Street Address: 21 Johann Albrecht Street,
> Mailing Address; Private Bag 13386 Windhoek, Namibia, tel: +264 61 232975,
> fax: +264 61 248016, e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected],
> Internet: http://www.misa.org/
>
> The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of
MISA.
> In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit MISA.