Hang public office abusers, JB urged

Civil society organisations (CSOs) in Malawi have urged President Joyce Banda to investigate and prosecute Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and government officials involved in abuse of public office.

The CSOs argue that allowing the law to take its course could not be constituted as revenge.

CSO leaders told the newly inaugurated President on Monday in Malawi’s capital Lilongwe that as much as they appreciate the need to avoid politics of retribution, for accountability and transparency sake, there is need to hold the previous administration accountable for its deeds.

Reads the paper presented to the President: “Your Excellency, we appreciate the good will demonstrated by your acceptance speech that you will not take a revenge on members of the previous administration as part of the national reconciliation and building.

“However, we would like to indicate that matters of accountability and justice do not equal vengeance in which case, it is the expectation of Malawians that the current administration must investigate and/or prosecute any malpractices or abuse of public offices by the previous administration.

“We underscore the fact that revenge does not imply exemption from due legal process of accountability.”

The CSOs have further recommended to Banda to reduce the number of vehicles in presidential convoys at a time when Malawians are going through economic hardships as a gesture of the new administration’s commitment to fiduciary standards.

“On a related matter, we anticipate a process of accountability that includes proposals for the construction of both a memorial as well as a holiday memorialising the victims of the July 20th demonstration,” reads the statement.

Banda has also been asked to hasten the appointment of commissioners for the Electoral Commission  (EC) to replace the old team whose tenure expired two months ago to ensure smooth preparations for the 2014 tripartite elections.