Parties dodgy on manifestos

As presidential candidates present their nomination papers this week, parties are not yet ready to release their manifestos despite being a document that could inform a party’s policies if voted into power.

Political analysts and commentators have faulted the trend, arguing it denies voters time to scrutinise the documents and make informed decision on the party candidate to vote for.

The analysts said it is high time political parties unveiled their manifesto.

They also faulted the parties for delaying to reveal running mates who are left with little time to garner votes.

Malawi Congress Party (MCP), the only one with a known running mate— Sidik Mia—said they delayed the release of their manifesto because it was being revised and refined.

MCP publicity secretary the Reverend Maurice Munthali, in response to a questionnaire said the process has been extensive and consultative because they want to ensure all key stakeholders provide their views.

He said these stakeholders include the youth, women, academia, technocrats, traditional and religious leaders, and the public.

“Ideas have been coming in until lately to the effect that we have delayed to produce a final copy. We feel it was better to give room to all ideas from a cross-section of our society than to rush into having a document which doesn’t speak of the people’s aspirations and needs.

“We planned to conduct the primary elections first and unveil the manifesto afterward. This plan was meant to orient our official candidates on what the manifesto carries as an MCP agenda for transforming Malawi before we unveil it to the general public,”said Munthali.

He said the party will announce when the document is ready.

The governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesperson Nicholas Dausi said on Friday that unveiling the party’s manifesto was not a priority as they were currently focusing on presentation of nomination papers.

He, however, said the party has a comprehensive manifesto which they would unveil at the right time, but declined to disclose how they are addressing issues of corruption and poverty.

Dausi, who is also Minister of Homeland Security, declined to comment on running mate although there is speculation that President Peter Mutharika is considering United Democratic Front (UDF) leader Atupele Muluzi.

The newly-established UTM Party led by Vice-President Saulos Chilima is also among political parties keeping their manifestos under wraps.

UTM publicity secretary Joseph Chidanti Malunga said in an interview they have it ready, but it would release it to the public when campaign officially opens, 60 days to the tripartite elections.

“You know, this is a living document. New ideas keep coming in and we continue to demolish it here and there, to accommodate other issues so that at the end of the day, we have a perfect manifesto. We can assure Malawians that by March 19, they will have it.

“I admit that 60 days is not enough time for voters to go through manifestos of all the participating political parties. That is why our leader [Chilima] takes extracts from the manifesto and shares them with the masses during our rallies,” he said.

Malunga observed that the creation of one million jobs, poverty reduction, fight against corruption and ending the quota system in the education sector are extracts from the party’s manifesto.

Asked if they have fears that others would copy their manifesto, Malunga said UTM was not worried about the theft of ideas because they were confident that their party was the only one with the capacity to execute them.

On the issue of delaying to release names of running mate he said UTM Party considers it as delicate because of the considerations involved, including electoral coalitions.

Malunga said another problem was that a running mate is the prerogative of the presidential candidate.

Chancellor College-based political analyst Mustafa Hussein said unveiling manifestos late gives little time for voters to go through them because there are several political parties contesting in the polls.

“Voters have to make their decisions based on manifestos, but if they don’t have them handy and have no time to go through, some can make their decisions based on the region candidates come from,” he said.

Hussein said the delay by presidential candidates to name their running mates also has its own disadvantages as it creates anxiety and some may leave the party owing to uncertainty.

The political scientist gave an example of MCP which named its running mate, saying the party settled and the issue is a closed chapter.

Social and political commentator Humphrey Mvula said naming running mates late gives them little time to go out to mobilise votes for the presidential candidates.

“Ideally, running mates are supposed to help presidential candidates amass more votes and if they are brought in late, they don’t have time to go out there, familiarise themselves with the electorate to win their votes,” he said.