The National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) has urged individuals contesting for parliamentary and local council seats in the upcoming elections to refrain from making promises they cannot fulfil once elected.

The organization says such false promises erode public trust and discourage citizen participation in future elections.

NICE Civic Education Officer for Blantyre, Glory Ngosi, made the remarks during a political debate organized by the institution in Zingwangwa.

The event aimed to give aspiring candidates for Member of Parliament and councillor positions in the Soche-Zingwangwa area a platform to present their development agendas.

Ngosi also called on the candidates to encourage their supporters to refrain from engaging in acts of political violence.

He warned that if candidates fail to deliver on their promises, voters will lose trust in them, making it difficult to secure votes in future elections.

Out of five parliamentary aspirants in the area, two participated in the debate, along with nine aspiring councilors.

One of the independent parliamentary candidates, Paul Ngwira, pledged to ensure that, if elected, residents of the constituency will have a say in how the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is used.

The debate was also attended by representatives from the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), the police, and traditional leaders.