People from Mulanje want their Parliamentary representatives to vote against the recognition of gay rights in the country should the bill at any time be tabled in the august House.

Constituents from Mulanje South who were the first to make the call, recently told their Member of Parliament Bon Kalindo to stand firm against the bill claiming they were all against the idea.

Speaking during a community development meeting at Group Village Head Tchete in the area of Traditional Authority Mabuka where the members invited their MP to discuss what they termed as “burning issues”.

Community facilitator for Liwu la Kumudzi Maxwell Lameck said recognition of gay rights was one of the hottest topics in the villages where homosexuality is a new subject that has already been understood as outlandish.

According to Lameck, the constituents do not want homosexuals to be accorded with their rights as they say marriage between same sex mortals is condemned and is punishable by death; and they say Malawi being a God-fearing nation should not join the ‘yes to homosexual rights’ band wagon.

“For this and other various reasons honorable, we would like to ask you not to support the nuisance if it be brought to Parliament for discussion,” said Lameck amid deafening ululation and hand claps from traditional leaders and their subjects.

Responding to the call, MP Bon Kalindo assured the crowd that he was going to do as requested by the people adding he personally shares same feelings against the idea.

“I for one am an individual who personally feels that voting yes to homosexuality or the recognition of rights for people practicing it would be a betrayal on you the people; because here in the village from where I was elected, acts of homosexuality are not condoned to in any way,” he said.

In an interview, Kalindo added that another issue he did not feel comfortable with was the one to do with the legalization of industrial hemp in the country, to which he said his vote would also be “a big no”.

Random interviews across the district has indicated that people from Mulanje Bale, Mulanje Central and Mulanje South-East constituencies are also planning on calling their MPs to tip them a vote of ‘no’ to gay rights.