Joyce Banda more trustworthy politician – IPOR survey shows

Former president Joyce Banda leads as most trusted political leader, a survey shows.

Malawi’s Institute of Public Opinion Research (Ipor)  research reveals that Banda – who was mired in a corruption scandal  of unprecedented scale dubbed Cash gate  – that led her to lose the 2014 elections is most trusted leader, albeit with only 32% trust rating.

But after bringing more donor aid into the country, ending the fuel crisis and forex shortage, her presidency suffered a knock when donors withdrew the country’s 40 percent of budgetary support owing to Cashgate that took place under her watch and partly that she inherited.

Governance expert and commentator Makhumbo Munthali told Nyasa Times that the pollsters are credible and it reflects on true assessments.

“Despite the fact that Joyce Banda has lost popularity with  five percent popular rating by the survey, many Malawians are still able to remember that in terms of fulfilling her promises comparatively  to the current President [Mutharika]  she seem to score highly,” said Munthali.

Banda’s rule was heralded by, donors, including Christine Largarde the IMF managing director, who described her as “extremely uplifting.”

Largarde said Banda is “a woman of courage and determination.”

United Democratic Front (UDF) president, Atupele Muluzi, is the “least trusted “political party leader with only 17% of Malawians saying they trust him, the survey report says.

Munthali said Muluzi has “lacked decisiveness” as his UDF party “lacks direction” ahead of 2019 elections.

Reads the report: “It is also worth noting that more than one in ten Malawians say they know very little of Vice President, Saulos Chilima (UTM), MCP President Lazarus Chakwera and UDF President, Atupele Muluzi to offer an opinion on whether they can trust them or not.

“There is thus slightly more potential for these three leaders to gain more public trust if they can get themselves more known to the public.”

The survey, dated October 2018 was conducted between August and September this year to assess the political environment in Malawi ahead of the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections and give an understanding of the political and economic environment of the country.

Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD) supported the survey carried by University of Malawi professors Blessings Chinsinga, Boniface Dulani, Joseph Chunga and Mwayi Masumbu.