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Malawians in nationwide march against Abortion Bill, homosexuality

Xinhua, December 6, 2016 Adjust font size:

Thousands of Malawians across the country on Tuesday marched against the tabling of Abortion Bill and also to urge the Malawi government to say no to homosexuality.

This followed speculations that the Parliament currently sitting in Lilongwe had queued up the Abortion Bill for debate but government has since refuted the speculations.

The march was organized by two religious mother bodies namely, the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) of the Catholic Church, and the Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM), an umbrella mother body of 68 church denominations and 54 Christian organizations.

Dubbed "Citizens' March for Life and Family" the march is a public celebration, defense and reaffirmation of truths and facts about life and family as enshrined in the country's laws, culture, beliefs and value system as a nation, according to a statement signed by ECM Secretary General, Henry Saindi and EAM General Secretary, Francis Mkandawire.

"Citizens' March for Life and Family is an open call to all Malawians to love their country by standing up for what is morally right today in the face of the hugely funded campaign for the 'killing of unborn children' (abortion) and legalization of homosexuality which are a direct attack on life and family respectively," explains the statement.

The nationwide march was conducted in all the country's four cities of Zomba, Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu, and in all the country's 28 districts including Likoma Island on Lake Malawi.

But government has described as untrue speculations that the National Assembly was planning to table the Abortion Bill.

"Government wishes to dismiss categorically claims that there is an Abortion Bill ready for debate in the National Assembly," explained Malawi Government Spokesperson, Malison Ndau, in a statement dated Dec. 5, 2016.

Studies and media reports indicate that Malawi government loses a lot of money through post abortion care and that most maternal deaths result from unsafe abortion. Enditem