Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy

Parliamentary and presidential elections are taking place today (May 19th) in Malawi. The competition between the two candidates running for president is quite fierce. One of the candidates is the current president of the DPP, Bingu wa Mutharika, and is running for a second term of presidency. The other candidate is John Tembo, the leader of the MCP and supported by the second largest party UDF. In the past the vote went most of the times to the current president to be able to stay for a second term. But this year it is different, because the support John Tembo is getting from the opposition party is strong.

There is a general worry however, that the course of the elections will take a turn for the worse. Fear of repetition of the Kenyan and Zimbabwean elections is evident. Parties, churches, the council and the international community are trying to keep the peace as much as possible to make sure the elections are free and fair.

This debate will be about the course of the elections and the results. Was it possible to keep the peace, were the vote’s counted fairly and do all parties accept the results? What do the results implicate for the largest group of Malawian, the farmers whose livelihood is dependent on agriculture? In the election campaigns the parties are promising to implement firm measures concerning agricultural policies. With the knowledge of the outcome of the elections it is possible to calculate the consequences for the agricultural policies in Malawi.

The debate will be facilitated by Words Unlimited journalist, Ralph Bodlier. The panel will be with Malawians political analyst and NIMD co-worker Augustine Magalowondo, who has just voted himself and will give take on the elections. Mark Rietveld (Cordaid) will go into depth on the experiences with the agriculture policies in Malawi.

Location: Felix Meritus, Keizersgracht 324, Amsterdam
Date: 26th of May
Time: 20.00-21.30 (doors will be open from 19.30)
Language: English
Entry Free / send an email to evs@evertvermeer.nl

For more information: the Weblog about the elections in Malawi can be read on the EVS website.Organised by the Evert Vermeer Foundation (EVF), Cordaid and NIMD.