Only if they debate…

By Pacharo Felix Munthali
The former president, Dr Bakili Muluzi has always maintained. You can not measure good economic progress by the economic growth statistics. The best one can do to see if the economy of the country is on the right track is by making sure that the people have money. This view is a complete contrast of what the state president Dr Bingu wa Mutharika believe in. For the country’s president, the statistics really shows that economy is going on smoothly, which result in winning the hearts of the donors.
Winning the hearts of donors is good, treasured blessings in fact. The result is an increase in funds inflow from the bilateral and multilateral donors. The funds are good for country’s development. It can take long to discuss this debate. Yet there is another skirmish…
Honorable John Tembo on the issue of Fertilizer Subsidy believes in Universal fertilizer subsidy. Then man from Dedza also believes in setting up farmers clubs through with the fertilizer coupons can be administered. In so doing the leader of opposition sees the chances of some unscrupulous individuals having little or no access of coupons deceitfully. The rampant scenes where coupons ended up in wrong hands would not be there.
The first citizen thinks otherwise. The current system is the best. Only the real beneficiaries are the ones that get access to the commodity.
The debates are many, tense in fact. But there has never been the platform where these political heavyweights can sort one another – where they can convince Malawians. Where all presidential candidates could come together.
In few months, people will be queuing on the long lines through the rains or sun. Ready to vote for someone, ascending him or her into power. The battle perhaps is on now, yet signs are all over that it will get heart throbbing once the campaign window is opened.
Once the nomination process starts, it will mean signifying the blowing of the campaign whistle. It will be symbolic. The Malawi Electoral commission by then would have received the nomination papers. The nomination papers will have the faces – sad faces, angry faces, disgruntled faces – whatever they will represent, it will be amusing.
Once the nomination process starts, as if MEC is exclaiming let the games begin politicians will be all over. The presidential candidates will bring in all extremes of political gimmicks – to woo as much votes as possible.
This is the period when the presidential candidates are expected to attack one another’s policies. The presidential candidates sell themselves, why they have to be put into power. Certainly, it is the most crucial period in the Presidential candidate’s political life. It is the period that the politician can make or break whatever he wants to achieve. His dreams can be shuttered.
Over the years, the country has seen a lot. The behaviour of some presidential candidates in other instances has been a concern. There have been instances where the some presidential candidates have been awesome at being better than the devil himself in hurling insults on one anther’s backs. They had spent much of their time rattling nothing rather selling themselves why they must be voted into power.
Of course, to reveal the weakness of the other candidate is a good Jocker to gain as many points in the presidential race. Unfortunately, such a trend harbours some faults. It has the blunder of diverting from issues of national importance. They spend much time in retaliating, blabbing.
In other words the people instead of listening to crucial issues of national importance, have been treated to a raw deal – instead of having the catalogue of what the presidential candidate will bring once in the power, the electorates have been treated to a political mockery that at worst is tragic political comedy.
With such a set up, it would be good if the Malawi Electoral commission (MEC) or other organizations of relevance had done something that could bring the presidential candidates together. The political debates involving the presidential candidates would be of the enormous importance.
The presidential candidates instead of misusing their oxygen in uttering insults and slinging them on one another, they could do something justice by scaling and squaring each other on relevant matters of the national significance.
With a chunk of political parties with no clear political ideologies, which at times are the duplications of other parties, it would be an opportunity to cherish, as political parties would strive to define themselves. The parties would try to look unique against others.
Such a time would be of enormous important, as the presidential candidates would be dealing with issues in greater depth. The presidential candidates at this point would be subjected to all sorts of questions.
The panel of those firing question might involve the journalists and some well-learned individuals in specific areas like academicians like lecturers.
The debates taking into consideration with the Malawi’s size it could take place three times. One in the Southern region, then Central region before ending up with Northern region. It can really be a revelation.
During the day of actual debate, those in attendance can include the representative of the parties. The number of the party representatives can depend upon the place where the debate is taking place. But each candidate could have equal number of the representatives during the debate. If the debate is taking place in the south, then the representatives would come from such region, in centre or north the trend would be the same, except for members of the executive committee.
With debate, it could be good to air it live on the public service broadcasters like Malawi broadcasting corporation (MBC) and Television Malawi (TVM). Thus this could offer almost everyone to get a depiction of what the presidential candidates have for them.
Those attending the debate would thus be told not to clap or do anything that could show the support for one of the presidential candidates. In fact such a scenario would bring that spirit of co-existence. Members of different parties would be able to co-exist, thereby mastering political tolerance.
Perhaps the headache that is there is the number of parties. Malawi has parties close up to forty. Fortunately very few are active. And experience has showed that Malawi has never had more than six presidential candidates in a single election. After all there are small parties that are but jolly riders that are there just to confuse people.
Thus chances are high that come next year Malawi will have not more than five presidential candidates. With such a scenario, the debate could be feasible.