Analysts say DPP scapegoating on presidential debate: Mutharika boycotts
The governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has insisted that Malawians should forget about having President Peter Mutharika articulating his development agenda through televised presidential debates which starts Friday night in Lilongwe.
DPP spokesperson Nicholous Dausi told Times Radio on Thursday that Mutharika would not take part in the presidential debate ahead of the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections .
“President Mutharika will not take part in the debate,” said Dausi.
DPP says it has reservations with the integrity of those behind the organisation of the same.
The live presidential debates, scheduled to host all the nine presidential aspirants, will be in three phases with the first group on March 29, the second on April 2 and the final group on April 5 at Bingu International Convetion Centre (BICC).
Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) Malawi Chapter chairperson Teresa Ndaga, who is also chairing the task force organising the presidential debates, said they are still persuading DPP as well as the President to make him change his mind by humbling himself and joining the other candidates on March 29 in the first of the three debates lined up for all presidential candidates.
The presidential debate is being organised by consortium of different entities including media houses, such as the taxpayer-funded Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and privately-owned Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) and Times Media Group.
Other organisations include Misa Malawi, National Initiative for Civic Education (Nice), Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD), Democracy Works Foundation (DWF), Public Affairs Committee (PAC), National Democratic Institute (NDI) and Voluntary Service Organisation, Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), Malawi Law Society (MLS) and Civil Society Agriculture Network (Cisanet).
Analysts have argued that the reason the DPP has given for its presidential candidate Mutharika not participating in presidential debates is just a cover up.
Political commentator and Malawi News columnist George Kasakula urges President Mutharika to reconsider his stand.
“These candidates are looking for a job—fighting for one job—and Malawians are essentially calling them to an interview. It does not make sense for any candidate to shun the interview from the owners of the job and then hope to get it at the end,” argued Kasakula in his ‘Hitting the nail’ column.
He added: “Those who feel big and refuse to humble themselves are saying Malawians can go to hell, yet, on May 21, they expect the same Malawians to vote for them, which is a total contradiction.
“The debates will be watched by millions of Malawians, eager to see and hear what their leaders will say and who deserves their vote and has plans to safeguard their futures and that of their children.”
The columnist continued:“The President should change his mind and shame those that have already started making bad jokes tagging him as a coward who is afraid of facing up to political opponents.
“Mutharika must stop listening to bad advisers who are telling him that he will get embarrassed and concocting lies that those organising the debates have integrity issues because they are not naming and describing the matters that they are talking of bordering on poor integrity.”
In the run-up to the May 20 2014 elections, then incumbent president Joyce Banda shunned the two presidential debates held in Blantyre and Lilongwe, while her running mate, Sosten Gwengwe participated in the first one before ducking the second leg of the running mates in Blantyre.
Mutharika, who was then a presidential hopeful in opposition, failed to attend the Lilongwe presidential debate , but turned up for the one in Blantyre while Vice-President Saulos Chilima then a running mate to Mutharika, attended both debates.
Kasakula pointed out that history shows that “it does not end well for politicians that think they are big and do not humble and avail themselves to be quizzed on relevant issues by the people of Malawi.”
On his part, governance expert and commentator Makhumbo Munthali said the resonas for DPP pulling out of the debate are not genuine and that it is a missed opportunity.
“It is sad that the ruling parties in Malawi have in recent years run away from such debates,” he said, adding “this is bad for democracy.”
Legal expert Thoko Kaime also quashed DPP, sayng the reasons for shunning the debates has nothing to do with the integrity of the process.
“That’s just new nyusesi[hot air] being peddled by the party,” he wrote on social media.
He said President Mutharika would have had a lot of defending to do for the “145 questions for which they have no believable answers.”
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Mutharika is a coward and should forget ever returning to tye state house come May21st.he will look back at whether he should have attended these debates coz hes been lied to by his advisors not to attend the debates.u want the people of Malawi to employ u as a president and u shun th interviews😂😂mark my words Peter u wont win.
Iwe King Jullienne chanichani ukunama zoti DPP siimaima pachulu…..,nanga zomwe akhala akunena mmisonkhano ya campaign kumauza anthu zomwe apanga sikuima pachulu kumeneko? Kodi munthu amadzitamilira yekha? N’chachidziwikire kuti APM akuopa as akalephera kuyankha mafunso otentha paja kuyankhula kumamuvuta, amangckhala ngati wavumata chimanga chokazinga m’kamwa!
dzanja lalemba, dpp out !!!
Muthalika ran away from old people nursing home in USA. He is almost incapacitated. He was alive during the Nazi rule. Nkhalamba singakwanitse debate.
copy and paste is the major problem of current citizenry. By copying USA and UK systems of presidential and premier elections does not make Malawi any closer to the intentions that these two countries impact on their would be voters. It is foolhardy to think otherwise that the outcome of such a debate would sway voters. You are only wasting money on dubious debates which could have been put to a well and meaningful use. If these organisations organising these debates are gussy enough why wait for foreign countries to come and assist the country in flood alleviation projects when you waste money on totally useless deabates. why not suspend the debates and invest in flood alleviations.
political populism is the game of the day for the organisers and you will achieve nothing.
This tri election will not be won on presidential debate scoreboard, the masses in the villages who represent eigthy percent of the total population will and they either know or dont care what it meants by this malfeasance of a debate. Masses want a leader who undestands their problems and solve them without partiality. who is this leader? May 21 will tell not the dubious debate of copy and paste which has nothing at stake. Muntharika is right to shun a debate in one of the poorest countries in the world.
A waste of time and scarce resources which are derived through begging,
How long will we keep begging to the outside world?This is the right topic to be debated by humble citizens of all walks of life.
What you are saying is useless. If you say the debate has been organized by the people to vote, are you serious ? is the media group the only people to vote ? Which Malawians told the media to organize this debate ? do not waste your time. Mutharika will find another way of articulating his development messages.
Amathawa kukayankha mafuso Ku Parliament akuthawanso mtsutso. A coward of a president.
Fact of the matter is chathawa. He is a coward someone who has never availed himself for questioning
He knows he is dumb
Dpp simayima pachulu ndikumakuwakuwa ngat agalu ,,,timangopanga zinthu pitani mukawuwe ku debate kwanuko
You take Malawians for granted. Let’s see if you will be arrogant on May 21. Chakwera ndi Mia kuti choooooongu!!!!!!
In the run-up to the 2014 elections, the same media houses provided Peter Mutharika, while in opposition, this forum and he participated in the debates. Mutharika had no access to MBC that time. Now the media houses are too inferior to question him. Ameneyo ndiye munthu!
He feels too big to be accountable to Malawians.
Job is given to only the ones attending interviews. moreover Dpp is taking the citizens of this country for granted
True if the interview is given by the prospective employer.
Akumva kutentha heavyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy kotelo kuti sangakwanitse kuima ndi amzake ndipo a Ntaba amulangiza kuti asayelekeze kutelooooooooooooooooo!!
Mbali inayi mwambi omwe wangotipeza ndi wakuti: “Kuopa kuchita nawo zinthu zofunika kunachotsetsa APM ndi DPP m’boma!!”
Akudziwa kuti wina ndi bububu pa chingerezi
Debate its good, it also gives candidates chance to defend or clear perceptions. Elections of every five years gives a new mandate, or new contract. I warn you Peter Mutharika and DPP not to take Malawians for granted. You better join the debate and seek a new five year contract for yourself and DPP. On 21st May, Malawians will choose who they want, giving him a new five year contract. What are you going to do if its not you? Back to America, Alamu pumani mwakalamba.
CHIMENE AKUWOPERA NDI CHANI MESA BWENZI ATATIFOTOKOZERA MENE MALAWI ITAZAKHALIRE SINGAPORE, ZITUKUKUKO ZIMENE WAPANGA ADAKAKHALA KUTI IYEYO NDIWANGWIRO SIBWENZI AKUTHAWA CHAKWERA BOMAAAAAAAAAAAA
Whe you create an environment where you are treated as a boss, how can you comfortably take pobing questions from inferiors ?
He had misgivings with integrity of organizers pa debate ya zodiac, ya misa Malawi, the same. So who should organize these debates omwe ali ndi integrity ya bwino to DPP?
WHERE DID YOU SEE A CULPRIT FACING THE VICTIMISED
mmmmmmmmmmm You mean you don”t know what DPP has achieved? Has someone to stand on podium and present.Muzikhalako ndi ulemu
Let me tell them for you Dpp has achieved the highest impunity level than anybody after Kamuzu and corruption after JB cashgate and Muluzu combined !! Lets boot them out and reclaim our malawi!! New government please!!
If somebody shun the interview you are attending do you complain or thank god that your chances are increasing? Leave DPP alone and fight for yourself. After all by the time people will be voting they would have long forgotten about the debates: aMalawi sachedwa kuiwala. Why doing them so early. Ngati mulungu analemba kuti DPP izawina olo muipake matope chotani olo muphatikizane chotani olo iblande chotani come 21st May it will win.
MMMMM musiyeni sangamake kwa Chakwera uyu. He knows his position mapeto ake HBP ikamugwira pomwepo and can even develop a stroke. Musiyeni akhaleko ndi moyo as we are waiting for elections pa May pano timugwetse bwino
We should understand that it is voluntary and NOT mandatory to participate in debates. I wonder why organizers are still persuading APM to attend to such. If debates really bring the much needed votes, let APM lose them. But if it’s the campaign and deliverables then let the voters choose the best candidate. Otherwise I dont see any reason of making APM change his mind. Let the best candidate carry the day. Am out.
Angoona kunyozera koma debate ndi yabwino ndithu.
Political debate is only a good thing if you have impartial moderators with carefully selected audience that is balanced with regards to political affliation. As the VP debate showed, these debates are just UTM/MCP sideshows. DPP should concentrate its campaign on the ground.
That’s typical of ruling parties in Malawi. When the same gentleman was in opposition, he saw relevance in such debates. He can’t see it now. But they( DPP) will see the relevance again in 2024. Of course for Chimulirenji I can understand. He can’t communicate in the language mostly used in the debates. But still he could ask for a change of language.After all, most of the voters don’t use English.
Muuna munali manyazi mbewa inafera konko ndipo khwangwala wamantha anagwa chagada ndi kuguluka mano…miyambi yatsopano