Councillor Debate Promotes Informed Voting Ahead of 2025 Elections in Chitipa
Councillor Debate Promotes Informed Voting Ahead of 2025 Elections in Chitipa
By Pauline Simwaka
As Malawi gears up for the 2025 General Elections, the National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Trust in Chitipa, in collaboration with the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), organized a live councillor debate at Katutula aimed at promoting voter awareness and political accountability.
The debate brought together shadow councillors from DPP, AFORD and Independent party contesting for various wards, giving them a platform to share their manifestos and respond to community concerns. Speaking during the event, Laureen Chilinguro, a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) shadow councillor, described the debate as a critical opportunity for aspiring leaders.
“This debate allowed us to sell ourselves to the voters and, most importantly, hear directly from them what they expect from us once we are elected,” Chilinguro said. “It will also help shape our campaign strategies because we now understand the community's key issues.”
Group Village Headman (GVH) Donald Ng’ambi of Katutula commended NICE for facilitating the engagement, saying it fosters transparency and strengthens democracy.
“This platform allows the people to hear directly from the candidates and hold them accountable to their promises,” he said. “My advice to all political players is that they should remember they are all Malawians. This is not a time to fight or insult one another but to tell the people what you will do for them if elected.”
NICE District Programmes Officer (DPO) for Chitipa echoed similar sentiments, stressing that the debate was part of the organisation’s broader civic and voter education strategy.
“Our goal was to bring the candidates closer to the people as we approach the 2025 elections. We also wanted to enlighten voters on the role of councillors and encourage them to make informed choices,” the DPO said.
He added that the debate allowed community members to pose direct questions to the candidates, helping to deepen local democratic participation.
The debate drew participants from across the area, including youth groups, traditional leaders, women, and first-time voters, marking another step in NICE’s ongoing campaign to promote peaceful, inclusive, and issue-based elections.
Voter awareness will help these people to choose the type of a leader they believe will bring change and benefits to their community and country
ReplyDeleteGood presentation too by the journalist
Brief and straight forward
The article clearly highlights the important councillor debate organized by NICE and CCJP in Chitipa ahead of Malawi’s 2025 elections.
DeleteThe writer effectively presents how the event promoted voter awareness, political accountability, and community engagement.
By including views from candidates, leaders, and voters, the piece captures the spirit of democracy and encourages informed, peaceful participation. Well done for a straightforward and informative report