Dear Judge Mbadwa,
My lord, the campaign period for the much-anticipated September 16 general elections began in earnest last week, launched by the Nyasaland Electoral Commission. Since then, we’ve seen several parties officially launch their campaigns—some with fanfare, others with familiar theatrics.
These are indeed interesting times for us Nyasas, my lord. The electorate is bracing for a flood of messages—some meaningful, many simply noise and a few nothing short of pure gibberish.
My concern, however, lies in the apparent disconnect between the commission’s call for issue-based campaigning and what parties are actually delivering. From the look of things, most parties seem devoid of substantive agendas with which to woo the voters.
Maybe it’s the fringe parties with modest followings who’ll attempt to embrace issue-based discourse, but even that remains a fragile hope.
For the likes of Lazaro’s Cockerel and Mapuya’s People’s Demagogic Party (PDP), the blueprint appears familiar: personal attacks over policies.
Do we honestly expect the Cockerel to stand before Nyasas and justify a renewed mandate, despite its track record of rampant inflation and the freefall of our currency? Is cataloguing a road here and a mega farm there really going to convince anyone?
And as for PDP—will Mapuya’s party finally spend time articulating what it would do differently if granted another shot at leadership, given its prior performance? Or shall we brace ourselves for the usual mudslinging from people who seem to lack a meaningful agenda?
Even what Tadeyo calls Ukapusa Tikulanda Mpando (UTM) of Carbar-mbe appears trapped in nostalgia—relying heavily on emotional appeals linked to one of Nyasaland’s most beloved figures, Sauli. With due respect to the late Sauli, may his soul rest in peace, the party must now define an identity that aligns with the aspirations of the people, not just his memory.
My lord, the pre-campaign period already hinted at where things were headed: a campaign built around castigation. The Cockerel mocked PDP for being led by an octogenarian, while the Yellow Party couldn’t resist chiming in. PDP, in turn, devoted most of its energy to attacking the Cockerel’s record, referencing everything from economic woes to alleged clothing deficiencies among its members—but said little about its own plan for Nyasaland.
So, my lord, I await with keen curiosity: How will these parties now persuade me to vote for them based on merit rather than malice?
Perhaps your tribunal ought to summon and question any party that strays from the commission’s directive for issue-based campaigning.
Yours faithfully,
John Citizen
