Malawian voters have been dared to hold politicians to account for the promises they make in the run up to the September 16 General Election to avoid getting raw deals.
Governance and public policy activist Mavuto Bamusi, in an interview on the sidelines of the Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) Index report launch in Lilongwe on Friday, asked voters to reject candidates who offer empty rhetoric or focus on personality clashes.
Instead, he said voters should prioritise issue-based manifestos that tackle Malawi’s most pressing challenges of inequality, corruption, debt and economic development.
“The rich are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer. Youths and women, in particular, are shouldering the biggest burden of this growing inequality,” said Bamusi.
His sentiments come after Malawi Electoral Commission on July 14 launched a 60-day official campaign period for the September 16 General Election when Malawians will elect the President, members of Parliament and ward councillors.
Bamusi warned that manifestos lacking clear anti-corruption strategies should be viewed with suspicion and citizens should withhold their votes from candidates who do not prioritise transparency and accountability.
He also raised alarm over Malawi’s public debt levels, saying the country is in a fiscal crisis that demands urgent political solutions.
“Out of every K100 that the government collects, K86 goes to servicing debt. That is not sustainable,” Bamusi said.
On Saturday, Women’s Legal Resource Centre (Worlec) executive director Maggie Kathewera Banda told our sister newspaper Weekend Nation that Women’s Manifesto Movement is establishing a monitoring and accountability framework to make candidates accountable to their promises on women’s empowerment.
She said the framework would include a public scorecard to track candidates’ commitments, periodic reviews and follow-up meeting after the elections.
“Through partnerships with the media and civil society, we will ensure these promises remain in the public eye beyond the elections,” said Kathewera Banda.
This comes a few days after the movement also announced plans to engage all presidential aspirants to commit to addressing systemic gender inequities before and after the September 16 2025 General Election.
Political scientist Nandin Patel while applauding the lobby groups for the initiative said beyond campaign promises, political parties and candidates need to detail their commitments on women empowerment.
The 2025-2030 Manifesto integrates intersectional gender perspectives, addressing the unique struggles faced by women across diverse social and economic contexts.
