By The Forum

The second presidential debate of Malawi’s 2025 general elections has been postponed, adding fuel to an already heated controversy over who gets a platform in the race. The Presidential Debates Task Force, which organized the first debate, announced on August 28, 2025, that the next round would be shifted to a later date to be confirmed over the weekend. The Task Force, a multi-stakeholder committee comprising representatives of the media, government and civil society, said the postponement would “create space for further engagement with political parties” that failed to participate earlier. After the first debate, one independent presidential hopeful, Adil James Chilungo, blasted the Task Force, which is chaired by Media Institute of Southern Africa Malawi Chapter, for what he described as “unfair and discriminatory” conduct. This was after only three candidates were featured in the first debate, even after the ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) pulled out. To make his case, Chilungo wrote a letter of complaint, published in full below:

“This is an official complaint to the unfairness in political coverage by the Media Institute of Southern Africa in the ongoing presidential debates.

“The institute has deliberately decided to exclude other bonafide Malawian presidential aspirants from participating in their televised debates opting for a few contestants.

“This is despite contacting the chairman Mr Golden Matonga well in advance expressing the concern. His response was that they are targeting parties represented in the last parliament. The reason lacks merit because with the campaign period no party is in parliament. Secondly this is in contrast to the same exercise being conducted by NICE where shadow MPs are participating in their debates regardless of parliamentary affiliation.

“I feel negatively affected as a Malawian contesting for the presidency because in addition to favoring a section in the race, it spells a clear declaration of others as losers and others as winners in the race where information to the voters is vital to the success of the election process tantamount to facilitating a rigged election process.

“I therefore seek redress to the concern by among others either stopping the debates all together to avoid exacerbating the damage the first debate has already caused or including the willing presidential aspirants in the remaining planned debates.

“In fact, we are even surprised that after the two participants in the debate namely MCP and DPP declined to participate, no effort was made by the organizers to give space to other willing participants further buttressing the discriminatory design of the debates, a thing not acceptable in a free and fair electoral process.”

This year’s presidential race is expected to be tight under the new 50 percent plus one rule. No more winning with just the largest share of votes as candidates now need a clear majority. DPP has made alliances, but MCP, despite talking coalition, still hasn’t named a partner.

Seventeen candidates are vying for the presidency. Alongside the presidential race, Malawians will also elect members of parliament and local government councillors on September 16.