Independent presidential candidate Adil Chilungo has faulted the country’s electoral system for allegedly shutting out independents through selective funding and debate restrictions, warning that this undermines the integrity of the September 16 General Election.
Speaking in an interview, he said the playing field remained tilted in favour of candidates from parties that were represented in Parliament, leaving independents disadvantaged despite contesting for the same office.
Said Chilungo: “Independent candidates like myself cannot compete fairly because the systems are favouring selected candidates.
“Why should Centre for Multiparty Democracy [CMD] funding be restricted only to parties represented in Parliament? And why should debate organisers sideline some of us, yet we are all aspiring for the same position?”
CMD, which provides electoral support through dialogue and capacity building, acknowledges the concerns but insists its operations are guided by a constitution that limits its mandate to parliamentary parties.
CMD executive director Boniface Chibwana said the organisation’s framework was designed to strengthen multiparty dialogue, not necessarily to cater for independents.
“CMD has a constitution that it follows when it comes to engaging political parties on electoral issues. The constitution states that political parties represented in Parliament form CMD, and its primary goal is making sure that the culture of dialogue is inculcated in Malawi’s political fabric,” he said.
Chibwana, however, admitted that complaints from independents and smaller parties are genuine, adding that only the CMD board can deliberate and decide on reforms to widen eligibility.
The Presidential Debates Task Force, which organises the live televised debates, has also faced criticism for excluding independents.
But Task Force chairperson Golden Matonga said the decision was made to keep the debates focused and meaningful for the general public.
Despite the explanations, Chilungo argues that the exclusions reflect a deeper problem of institutional bias that weakens the credibility of Malawi’s democracy.
There are 17 presidential candidates in the elections.
