For the Big Four, debate is about defending record

The first of the two presidential debates starts next week to be followed by a second seven days later. The debates will be on domestic policy. On display will be style and substance—both of which are important performance indicators in this political theatre. Had all the 12 presidential candidates participated in this pageant of ideas and image, my view is that it would have been about the ‘Big Four’—People’s Party’s (PP) candidate President Joyce Banda, Malawi Congress Party’s (MCP) Lazarus Chakwera, Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Peter Mutharika and United Democratic Front’s (UDF) Atupele Muluzi—defending their records given that all of them have been in government at some point in our history.