Malawian Political parties are keeping a tight lid on what they have in their respective manifestos ahead of the 2019 Tripartite Elections.
In set of interviews this reporter had with the Malawi Congress Party(MCP), Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), United Democratic Front(UDF) and UTM Party, all the four political parties refused to disclose what is in their manifestos.
Spokesperson for UDF, Ken Ndanga, said he could not disclose the contents of UDF 2019 manifesto because it is a work in progress.
Similarly, spokesperson for UTM, Joseph Chidanti Malunga said UTM will only unveil its manifesto at its convention which is tentatively set for 8th December, 2018.
Malunga also disclosed that UTM leader, Saulos Chilima, will contest in 2019 presidential election because Malawians are tired of the current government and they want something new.
Spokesperson for MCP, Maurice Munthali concurred with Malunga that Malawians are tired of the current government.
“Malawians would like to have change because they are tired of mediocrity, corruption and vision-lessness. The change can not come from the same people who have brought the current mess but through Lazarus Chakwera who has good integrity, maturity, good track record and is leading an institutionalized as well as established party like MCP,” said Munthali.
Munthali further added that MCP has done a lot of research and consultations therefore there have been changes to the manifesto they had in 2014.
He said what was relevant five years ago can not have the same relevance now and when the manifesto is unveiled Malawians will see that it is not just a document but the bridge towards a better and prosperous Malawi by a party that has a clear agenda and transformative change for a country that will be enjoyed by all.
On the other hand, DPP spokesperson Nicholas Dausi said it is premature to disclose the contents of the manifesto now.
“We will reveal what we have in stock for Malawians when Malawi Electoral Commission announces the opening of official campaign period,” he said.
Despite this, during public rallies, some parties have hinted on some of the policies they would like to implement if voted into power.
Meanwhile, a recent survey titled ‘Political Environment Towards 2019 Tripartite Elections’ by Institute for Public Opinion (IPOR), rated DPP, MCP, UTM and UDF as first, second, third and fourth, respectively, in terms of political party support.
