Sept 21 vigil on, NGO’s out of dialogue

Civil society organisations (CSOs) have announced their withdraw from ‘peace talks’ with government, citing continued attacks on its members as a main reason, and plans for September 21 vigil have been revived.

The vigil is aimed at pressing the government to respond to the July 20 petition in which civil society groups have laid down the grievances of Malawians on poor economic and political governance.

A statement through CSO dialogue team chairperson, Voice Mhone, adds dialogue cannot succeed amidst mistrust, intolerance, arrogance, unfaithfulness, double standards, violence and threats, insecurity, impunity, and lack of mutual respect for the dialogue teams.

Under the umbrella of the Council for Non-Governmental Organisations (CONGOMA), the CSOs have asked the United Nations (UN) who has been mediating the dialogue to ask President Bingu wa Mutharika to publicly denounce violence and declare his genuineness and unquestionable commitment to the dialogue process.

Mhone: End talks

“His actions indicate the contrary as he has embarked on a campaign of sustained vilification of civil society and its leadership,” says the statement sent to all NGOS, CSO networks in Malawi, SADC-CNGO, the British High Commission in Malawi, US Embassy in Malawi, and relevant media houses.

Addressed to the attention of the UN Resident Representative, Richard Dictus, the CSOs also bemoan the fact that despite expressing their fears in a synopsis of violence and threats including those on against the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), the Civil Society for Quality Basic Education (CSCQBE), and the Institute for Policy Interaction (IPI) and their respective leaderships, IPI offices were petrol-bombed on 2nd September 2011 and on 10th September the Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) leader, Reverend Macdonald Sembereka, had his house also petrol bombed by unknown arsonists.

“To this effect, civil society feel these attacks are reprisal, calculated and manifest a very strange and strong conincidence which smacks of responding to podium orders by the President to deal with critics, smoking civil society out and going to war speeches,” says the statement.

“We strongly indicated in our letter dated 2nd September 2011 that further provocation on civil society would derail the negotiation process.”

“Unfotunately,” adds the statement, “we have seen the President promoting a culture of intimidation and direct attack on civil society, an element that greatly undermines the essence of the dialogue in question.”

CSO is angaged with government in addressing a number of issues as indicated in a petition delievered to Mutharika on 20th July 2011 during mass demonstrations that saw 20 die of live bullet wounds.

National, regional and international bodies, organisations and nations condemned the leadership for use of deadly force on peaceful and unarmed protestors, which government continue to label as ‘thieves’ and ‘looters’.

“It is on this basis that civil society under the leadership of the Council for NGOs in Malawi (CONGOMA) would like to inform the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) as facilitator of the Dialogue Process that we have suspended our participation in the dialogue until the Head of State adequately assures civil society that we are safe and secure,” concludes the statement.

Among  issues that have so far been discussed, reopening of Chancellor College and the reinstatement of fired lecturers, procurement of medical supplies and drugs, have been agreed on in principle.

CSOs also want Mutharika to explain is ‘sudden’ wealth, the position of First Lady Callista Mutharika who draws a hefty salary for charity work, persistent fuel and forex shortage, archaic laws including those that gag the media and makes injunctions unattainable against government officials, purchase of a multi-million Kwacha presidential jet, and many other issues.

Mutharika has again and again publicly ridiculed CSO and some of its leaders including CHRR’s Undule Mwakasungura whose offices were attacked, Rev. Sembereka, and Rafiq Hajat of IPI.

He has also said ‘unfriendly’ media such as Zodiak Broadcasting Services (ZBS) were behind a plot to unseat him. The station’s two vehicles were also torched by unkown arsonists wearing masks.

The Vice President Joyce Banda is also targeted in the ‘hate’ speeches and has since been dropped on a cabinet list. Ministers say she cannot be trusted to sit in cabinet meetings due to her stance against the leadership and her vocal status as president of the newly launched Peoples Party (PP).

Nyasa Times 14 Sep, 2011

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Source: http://www.nyasatimes.com/national/sept-21-vigil-on-ngo%e2%80%99s-out-of-dialogue/
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