Pro-Federalism Demonstrations Ban In Karonga Against Fundamental Human Rights- CHRR, Cedep

Mtambo (far left) and Trapence (Far right)

Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) and Centre for Development of People (Cedep) have jointly issued statement expressing shock on what they call "The government’s decision through the district commissioner to bar" a grouping called Karonga Youth for Justice and Development from holding a demonstration in favour of Federalism

The grouping is said to have been stopped from holding Pro-Federalism demonstrations after it submitted a notification letter to the district commissioner of their planned demonstrations scheduled for 28th September 2014

The statement dated 20th September 2014 has been titled CHRR, Cedep Statement On Calls for Federalism; An Appeal for Soberness, Rationality, Unity, Tolerance and Adherence to Human Rights in the federalism Discourse.

Executive Director's Timothy Mtambo and Gift Trapence for CHRR and Cedep respectively have signed the document with a view on such a decision as not only retrogressive but also a complete departure from the democratic path which Malawians chose to pursue since 1993.

"Such decisions are clearly a reminiscent of the old DPP" reads the statement adding "which used to derive satisfaction on tramping on the citizens’ freedoms of assembly and expression as evident in the build-up and during the July 20 demonstrations. The new DPP should seriously guard against this."

The statement states that hold peaceful demonstrations or having any assembly is a constitutional right that government or any government official needs to embrace as provided in both the Republican constitution under the bill of rights chapter 4 as well as in other prominent international human rights instruments which Malawi is party to including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) and Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR).

The two Human Rights Institutions propose that determination of the validity of issues or reasons behind one’s proposed demonstration should never be used as a scapegoat to bar the citizens from freely and peacefully exercising such fundamental freedom saying "its up to the government and the general public to appreciate the validity of such after the concerned groupings have presented their petitions through a peaceful demonstration"

"It is therefore in this regard that we at CHRR and Cedep fault government’s decision [through the district commissioner] to shoot down the Karonga demonstrations premised on the invalidity of the reasons behind the proposed demonstrations." Reads the statement

CHRR and Cedep says they are further concerned with and surprised by government’s "perennial tactic of mobilising traditional leaders to suppress any calls for federalism"

"While it is government’s obligation to foster unity in the country, the recent government meetings with chiefs have only managed to sow seeds of suspicion in the public about their government. Why is government rushing into “manipulating” chiefs to oppose the pro-federalism movement? Why is it that government is not willing to allow the public to soberly debate over the matter towards an informed decision on the matter - and instead it has opted for the “demonization” of the system [through chiefs] as one way of silencing the proponents of the system? We at CHRR and Cedep strongly believe that the Malawi government, just like any democratic government, has the obligation to provide a conducive environment for its citizens to freely, soberly and rationally engage with each other on various matters or issues of national concern, and the current debate on federalism is no exception" says the statement

It further says "Government should refrain from taking steps which would be viewed as targeting one group or the other"

CHRR and Cedep have therefore asked government to provide a conducive platform for constructive public engagement on Federalism issue so that the public can be well-informed about its merits and demerits for proper choice in finding right solution as far as fostering national development is concerned