Chakwera advantaged for 2019 Malawi polls — Commentator

Ethiopia-based Malawian journalist and political commentator, Idriss Ali Nasser, has—through
social media platform Facebook—opined that a lot of factors can actually work to the advantage of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) 2019 tripartite elections torchbearer, Lazarus Chakwera, to make it as president of the country.

Nasser, a fine writer too, said there was something new in Chakwera evidenced by his less confrontational brand of politics; and, that “he is a church pastor perceived as honest and less prone to be corrupt.”

And, the prolific journalist said there was no serious competition from other mattering political parties.

“With UDF reduced to being the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) bridesmaids, People’s Party (PP) suffering and hemorrhaging members in the absence of JB [Joyce Banda], and with the [United Transformation Movement] UTM just taking shape, the MCP has numbers in Parliament and structures on the ground, giving impression of a party ‘ready to govern’,” wrote Nasser on his Facebook page.

Recently, during the Afrobarometer survey, it was projected that MCP would win with 32 percent and that the DPP candidate would trail second with 29 percent—a thing that gives MCP a plus that it is good
on favorable opinion opinions.

Nasser, who was attacked by reportedly government mercenaries days ago on his visit to the country, said MCP has made inroads in the northern and southern regions, and that his education and eloquence worked to his advantage.

He wrote: “Chakwera has solid education credentials. He speaks Chichewa and Chitumbuka fluently. He speaks English with exaggerated accents which, to some of Malawi’s gullible voters, give the impression that he is a very wise and educated man.”

According to Nasser, with the Sidik Mia factor, MCP has all the reasons to make it as the next government.

“With Mia, the MCP has the potential to garner additional votes from the southern region. A Muslim, Sidik Mia might also bring some Muslim votes as well as provide financial resources that can aid the MCP campaign,” wrote Nasser.

He summed up by adding that the Kamuzu Banda legacy is another big factor.

“People look back with nostalgia to the Kamuzu Banda era. Perhaps not the politics, but public service. They talk of quality of the infrastructure, education and health services, among others,” he wrote.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :