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afrol News, 25 October - A Malawian parliamentary committee is to look into the beating of journalist Gedion Munthali by a ruling party MP. Mr Munthali had tried to interview the MP on the controversial amendment to the constitution, which would allow President Bakili Muluzi to stand for a third term. According to information gathered by the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), the Speaker of the Malawi Parliament, Sam Mpasu, has directed the parliamentary committee on media and communications to investigate the circumstances surrounding the beating of 'The Nation' newspaper senior journalist Gedion Munthali by a ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) MP on 23 October. Mr Munthali was assaulted by MP Fidson Chisesele when he tried to interview the MP about a letter of appeal in which his constituents requested him not to vote in favour of a change of the Malawi constitution to allow President Bakili Muluzi a third term in office. The letter, bearing the signatures of 1,300 constituents, was also delivered to the offices of 'The Nation'. The UDF is pushing to change the constitution which gives a maximum of two five-year terms for Malawi presidents. On 4 July, the Malawian Parliament rejected a Bill which sought to delimit the presidential terms which, if passed, would have made provision for life presidency. Mr Munthali recalls from the 23 October that he was told by his colleagues at 'The Nation' newsroom to ask Mr Chisesele what he had made of the letter. On this request, Mr Chisesele advised the journalist to meet during break time. "He asked if I were Gedion and told me to follow him aside. Instead of addressing the issue, he grabbed me by the neck and beat me up," Mr Munthali said. Mr Munthali says the MP stopped the assault when another MP and a cabinet minister intervened advising Mr Chisesele to give his side of the story instead of assaulting the journalist. He was then dragged to the office of the Leader of the House. He said the MP told the Leader of the House and UDF first vice president, who was in the same office, that Mr Munthali was slinging mud at him and the party. "All this time I was being dragged by the collar. The Leader of the House and the UDF first vice president advised him not to beat me up but to respond to my questions," said Mr Munthali. The police are now investigating the matter. Meanwhile, Mr Munthali has told the Malawi chapter of MISA (National Media Institute of Southern Africa; Namisa) that he has instructed his lawyers to commence legal action against the MP. "I can not compromise on this one. Had I written an unbalanced story I would have deserved this. He has to be shown that he is not too powerful to be touched," said Mr Munthali. Further, yesterday morning, opposition MPs asked the Speaker to brief the House on media reports that the MP Fidson Chisesele roughed up Mr Munthali at parliament building. The Speaker said he did not have the details. But when Mr Munthali lodged his complaint with the Speaker, the chair told the House he had ordered the committee to investigate the issue and give him a report of its findings. Impeccable sources within the UDF confided in Namisa that the party was embarrassed by what the MP did. Malawi is currently facing substantial cut-backs in foreign aid due to the many irregularities in the UDF campaign to provide for lifetime presidency for Mr Muluzi. The UDF regime, frequently accused of embezzlement of public funds and foreign aid, slowly has been drifting towards totalitarianism.
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