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What started as a normal day ended on a tearful note for United States Ambassador to Malawi, Virginia Palmer, whose Thursday scheduled meeting with Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera at the party's headquarters ended abruptly after police 'mistakenly' fired teargas on the premises.
Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, has been the scene of political upheaval as, on Tuesday this week, suspected MCP supporters forced civil servants out of Capital Hill, the seat of the government in Lilongwe.
Chief Secretary to the Government, Lloyd Muhara, on Tuesday released a statement calling on civil servants to return to work, saying the situation had normalized.
On Wednesday, Palmer told the media that she saw no problem with UTM of former vice president Saulos Chilima and MCP's decision to contest results of the May 21 2019 presidential election in court.
She said the political parties had a constitutional right to seek legal redress.
It is under this background that Palmer met with Chakwera at MCP headquarters in Lilongwe on Thursday, when police mounted road blocks and barred people from walking to, let alone driving on the road, to the opposition party's headquarters.
This was happening after MCP supporters gathered at the party's headquarters.
As Palmer and Chakwera meeting went on, police in armored vehicles arrived and started firing teargas canisters into the MCP compound.
One police officer on the ground said they did not know that Palmer was on the premises.
"Of course, we fired teargas canisters into the compound but stopped after we were told that the United States Ambassador to Malawi was in the building. It was too late though, as teargas led to the abrupt end of the meeting," he said.
Meanwhile, unhappy opposition supporters are marching in protest in Nkhotakota District.
On Tuesday, people marched in Dowa District and Lilongwe, the capital.
TEAR-GASSED-- Palmer
Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, has been the scene of political upheaval as, on Tuesday this week, suspected MCP supporters forced civil servants out of Capital Hill, the seat of the government in Lilongwe.
Chief Secretary to the Government, Lloyd Muhara, on Tuesday released a statement calling on civil servants to return to work, saying the situation had normalized.
On Wednesday, Palmer told the media that she saw no problem with UTM of former vice president Saulos Chilima and MCP's decision to contest results of the May 21 2019 presidential election in court.
She said the political parties had a constitutional right to seek legal redress.
It is under this background that Palmer met with Chakwera at MCP headquarters in Lilongwe on Thursday, when police mounted road blocks and barred people from walking to, let alone driving on the road, to the opposition party's headquarters.
This was happening after MCP supporters gathered at the party's headquarters.
As Palmer and Chakwera meeting went on, police in armored vehicles arrived and started firing teargas canisters into the MCP compound.
One police officer on the ground said they did not know that Palmer was on the premises.
"Of course, we fired teargas canisters into the compound but stopped after we were told that the United States Ambassador to Malawi was in the building. It was too late though, as teargas led to the abrupt end of the meeting," he said.
Meanwhile, unhappy opposition supporters are marching in protest in Nkhotakota District.
On Tuesday, people marched in Dowa District and Lilongwe, the capital.
TEAR-GASSED-- Palmer
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