Emily Mkamanga

Campaign using party ideology, values

On a number of occasions, President Peter Mutharika has been saying that it has to be over his dead body for the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) to rule this country again. This is a big challenge to the leadership of MCP together with the whole membership.

On the other hand, what Mutharika says against the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) is a motivation to make the party to work very hard. This is how it is one of the front runners and possibly can get into power once again.

It is obvious that the negative stories about MCP is because of the alleged atrocities during Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda’s rule. However, atrocities are alleged to even be committed now. There has been a number of mysterious deaths reported, especially on people with albinism. There has been no solution, so far.

Despite the dictatorship, it can honestly be said that MCP has proved to be a very resilient party and survived against the odds. In fact, after Kamuzu lost the 1994 elections, most people thought that was the end of the party. But, surprisingly, the MCP leadership led the party to regroup. They received all manner of ridicule, but they stood firm at the pillars of the party.

MCP might not have won any presidential election since 1994, but now it is a force to reckon with in Malawi. Without doubt, it is the non-performing of the current government and leadership which has made people to remember MCP. They remember the good old days of Kamuzu, when the economy was booming and that finding food and getting money was not a struggle. When it comes to infrastructure development of buildings and roads, there is not yet a leader who has surpassed him.

It must be mentioned that MCP believes in its four corner stones of Unity, Loyalty, Obedience and Discipline and now they have added Super High Five. Most likely, this is their ideology. As the country is preparing for a fresh presidential election in July 2020, it goes without saying that candidates must campaign using their ideologies and values. It is important that each party must show what it is standing for in relation to the welfare of Malawians.

Strategising to rig an election is a sign that a candidate and his or her party have no ideology to follow.

Currently, there are allegations of some under-age Malawians, elsewhere in the country, being registered to vote in the forthcoming presidential election.

If Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) knows nothing about this, then, they must go out and find out. Naturally, for these children to go ahead and register, they are, most likely, bribed.

Any party which believes in bribery is definitely idealogically bankrupt. Malawians are aware that, to a large extent this country has been destroyed because of bribery and corruption; therefore, it is unacceptable to vote for a candidate, of whichever party, who has a history of bribery. People must know that buying the right to vote cannot solve problems of poverty in the country.

Candidates must sell themselves by talking about what they are going to do for Malawians. Mudslinging other candidates only shows how shallow-minded one is. It is up to the people to choose who should be their next president.

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