Malawi presidential debate new format: All 9 candidates to take part
The 2019 Presidential Debate task force has announced the change of format of the debates to allow for what it calls a level playing field and a national platform for all nine presidential candidates ahead of the highly anticipated May 21 2019 watershed polls.
Initially two debates were lined up but one more has been added and will be held on March 29, April 2 and April 5, 2019.
“This change is a result of overwhelming feedback from electoral stakeholders,” reads a statement released on Tuesday, signed by Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) Malawi chapter chairperson Teresa Ndanga.
The statements further said that as a way of ensuring quality of the debates as well as an opportunity for candidates to outline their vision for Malawi and defend their policies and manifestos, the presidential candidates will be divided into two groups.
The first group will debate on March 29 and the second on April 2 while the final debate will be held on April 5th.
Prior to the debates, all candidates will be asked to sign a pledge of non-violence.
The taskforce also confirmed to have communicated with all parties about the change of format during a meeting with senior party and candidate representatives held in Lilongwe on Monday, March 11, 2019.
The task force consists of MISA Malawi, Malawi Broadcasting Cooperation (MBC), Times Group, Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) and Civil Society Organisations including Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD), Democracy Works Foundation (DWF), Civil Society Agriculture Network (CISANET).
Other CSOs in the task force are the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), Malawi Law Society (MLS), Public Affairs Committee (PAC), Voluntary Service Organization (VSO), National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Trust, and the National Democratic Institute (NDI).
This will be super boring, You mean one question being answered by nine people.? I will not waste my precious time watching that nonsense.
Another rubbish, fit for people without anything to do
I don’t care whether they engage all or few, but the problem I have is that those to participate last will have an advantage because they will have heard what their colleagues will have said and capitalize on that to come up with punchy points. All should participate at the same time. In the US they do it regardless of the number of candidates. Trump had so many competitors when he was fighting for the Republican Presidential candidate nomination and remained alone to compete with a Democratic Presidential candidate. I feel there will be no leveling of the play ground with the approach taken by MISA. I think the task force is just useless, it doesn’t think outside the box.
Don’t they have TVs? If they choose not to watch then we don’t care either they have a disadvantage! They need to keep up with current affairs if they serious with running for the top job otherwise we cant even trust them with the responsibility!
MBC NGATI ATATI ISATENGEPO GAWO TIDZAVA KUTI MUNTHALIKA WATHAWASO NGATI CHIMULILENJI
9 is way too much and a waste of time. Actually we just need 2 i.e APM and Dr. Laz.
Two very boring useless individuals
I think 9 is too much, some of these guys dont stand a chance to even get one vote. my advice to you people who organize some of these public functions of national importance, it would be better to consult us first which would be best way forward. please reduce the number to 5-6, the advantage of having a smaller number is that you can give more time to each candidate to explain clearly
a dad zoti akakhalako ndakayika.. mwina akatuma getuludi
Mmmmm hhhh mafunso achitidwa leak kale kwa amene mukumfuna inu ngati munachitira inu last week. Shame on you !!!!
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!! mxxxxxxxxxxx! MBC ichotsenipo. Atikwanana akapilikoni a MBC
Will be very long and very boring.
The same format should apply to the Runningmates – no double standards when it comes to politics. Zodiak wake up , MISA has set the ball rolling and we expect you to follow begining with tomorrow’s debate at COMESA Hall in Blantyre.
I do not think that MBC will be a good contributor to this cause. In my view they are a puppet broadcasting house as demonstarted in their presentations in defence of government. MBC was supposed to hold our nation picture high. But it has allowed itself to be miserable puppet Media house.
In organizing such debates we need to go for quality debates media houses and in my view MBC is not just part of such houses I stand to be corrected though
koma wakumapetoyo chizungu chake tinzamva , olo chichewa chakecho tizachimva koma mwina azayankhule chilomwe tintha kunzamva.
Another staged debate. It happened in 2014 when one Atu and Lazalo thought they were above the bar. What happened thereafter? APM can just do much better if he doesn’t go to these useless debates.
What the F….? Is this crazy or what????
You really think we have nothing else to do but listen to all these debates,, that is one reason we. Don’t move forward. …..this mentality of appeasement is killing our progress, why would any body with the slightest chance of wining even be allowed to debate …
So who will be in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd group,?
This Makes absolutely no sense!……..whose crazy idea is this?
This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!, this is stupid, it is so retarded, who will have the time to listen to nine people lying to us? How much time is allocated for this??? …..all day? Who has time for that????
Useless why shud I waste my time listening to chisi with his fantasy promises.the debate has jst lost taste.learn from other countries u muppets
Anyway I feel its good to give more time to speakers to explain themselves……to me I feel 2 minutes was not enough.. It was like the speakers were taking classroom examinations…
Its better to reduce the number of questions such that the few questions taken should be responded properly
Two minutes was enough buddy, its just that the speakers were busy pointing fingers at a current government instead of telling us what it they will to change the lives of Malawians. Every question they were given to answer, they had to talk about their so called failures. Come on i’m not gonna listen to this shit, it will be boring i promise you.