Protestors of the Malawi election results have promised they would next week close the country’s borders and airports as a next move to force the Electoral Commission chairperson Jane Ansa to step down.
Jane Ansa who is accused by the protesters of mismanaging the elections has challenged not to resign.
Protest Organisers, Human Rights Defenders Coalition, announced last week that they will occupy the country’s two airports, and all borders and stop all businesses in the two protected areas to force President Peter Mutharika fire Ansa.
“We want to confirm that all is set for the five days vigil In the said places, we will continue protesting until Dr Ansa resigns,” said Gift Trapence, the Vice-Chairperson of the coalition.
The Department of Aviation is estimating a loss of about US$1,342,181 revenue collection if the airports would be closed for the protests period.
The department’s authorities have told the local media, the costs might even be higher if the demonstrators would resort to vandalism of the strictures as it has been the case during the previous protests.
These would be the first-ever protests to take place in the said premises, and one of the biggest churches in Malawi, The Church of Central African Presbyterian has urged it’s faithful to patronize the protests.
One of the church’s top authorities, Reverend Levi Nyondo, and a political commentator George Phiri from a privately owned University of Livingstonia say such big protests would urgently influence authorities to fire Ansa.
But some commentators have alleged that it would become difficult for president Mutharika to fire Ansa on accusations that she mismanaged the results which went in favour of Mutharika himself.