The Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD) has commended political parties for adopting tolerant and violence-free political campaigns, stating that doing so creates a political environment that learns from past mistakes.
The official campaign period for Malawi’s September 16 general election was launched on Monday, July 14, following a history of escalating politically orchestrated violence. The campaign, running under the theme “Promoting Democratic Leadership Through Your Vote,” aims to inspire informed voter participation.
In an interview, CMD Executive Director Bornaface Chiwabana said that since the campaign’s launch last month, the organization has registered few cases of violence, indicating that political parties have embraced a culture of tolerance. “So far, so good. We have been monitoring the campaign on issues of political violence. As far as the official campaign period is concerned, we have had few cases, and I think we have to commend the political parties that the message of tolerance that we have been preaching has been taken to heart. We would want to encourage them that that’s the way to go in as far as democracy is concerned,” he said.
Chiwabana emphasized the need for issue-based politics and a culture of tolerance to avoid the political violence experienced in the past. To ensure violence-free politics, the CMD is among the stakeholders that have organized three presidential debates, scheduled for August 21, August 29, and September 4 this year.
Chiwabana also expressed his expectation that candidates will “expound on the policy issues that we are grappling with as a country so that Malawians have a wider view of options when it comes to choosing the next leader.”
Golden Matonga, Chairperson of the 2025 Debates Taskforce and MISA Malawi, said it is time for Malawi to have candidates who can openly discuss and commit to addressing key policy issues. He believes the debates will shift the focus of elections away from personality politics, religious, and tribal identities, which have historically characterized the country’s political environment.
The Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD) is a membership organization primarily for political parties represented in the National Assembly of Malawi. Its membership is extended to non-parliamentary parties, which are represented on the CMD Board as a bloc.
Established in 2005, the CMD is bound by the collective will of its member political parties to ensure the entrenchment of multiparty democracy by encouraging and supporting dialogue among them. This collective will has led the CMD to initiate a number of cross-party programs aimed at developing the capacity of political parties so they are better positioned to champion their causes.
