Malawian general election, 2004

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General elections were held in Malawi on 20 May 2004 to elect a President and the National Assembly. The election had originally been scheduled for 18 May but was postponed for two days in response to opposition complaints of irregularities in the voter roll. [1] By 22 May no results had been announced, leading to protests from the opposition and threats of disorder. On 25 May the Malawi Electoral Commission finally announced the results of the election. Bingu wa Mutharika, the candidate of the ruling United Democratic Front, was declared the winner of the presidential poll, whilst the Malawi Congress Party had won most seats in the National Assembly vote. Voter turnout was around 62%. [2]

Malawi Country in Africa

Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. Malawi is over 118,000 km2 (45,560 sq mi) with an estimated population of 18,091,575. Lake Malawi takes up about a third of Malawi's area. Its capital is Lilongwe, which is also Malawi's largest city; the second largest is Blantyre, the third is Mzuzu and the fourth largest is its old capital Zomba. The name Malawi comes from the Maravi, an old name of the Nyanja people that inhabit the area. The country is also nicknamed "The Warm Heart of Africa" because of the friendliness of the people.

President of Malawi position

The President of the Republic of Malawi is the head of state and head of government of Malawi. The president leads the executive branch of the Government of Malawi and is the commander-in-chief of the Malawian Defence Force.

Bingu wa Mutharika politician and economist

Bingu wa Mutharika was a Malawian politician and economist who was President of Malawi from May 2004 until his death in April 2012. He was also President of the Democratic Progressive Party, which he founded in February 2005; it obtained a majority in Malawi's parliament in the 2009 general election. During his two terms in office, he was noted for being the Chairperson of the African Union in 2010–2011, as well as for several domestic controversies. In 2009, he purchased a private presidential jet for $13.26 million. This was followed almost immediately by a nationwide fuel shortage which was officially blamed on logistical problems, but was more likely due to the hard currency shortage caused by the freezing of aid by the international community He died of cardiac arrest in Lilongwe while in office on 5 April 2012, at age 78.

Contents

Campaign

President

There were five candidates for the presidential election:

Gwandaguluwe "Gwanda" Chakuamba Phiri was a Malawian politician who was the leader of the New Republican Party (NRP). He hailed from Nsanje, a district on the southern part of Malawi.

The Mgwirizana Coalition is an electoral alliance in Malawi. At the last general elections, 20 May 2004, the coalition won 27 out of 194 seats. Member parties of the coalition are:

Hastings Banda First president of Malawi

Hastings Kamuzu Banda was the prime minister and later president of Malawi from 1964 to 1994. In 1966, the country became a republic and he became president.

National Assembly

A total of 1,268 candidates ran in the election of which 373 were independents and the rest representing fifteen parties. [3]

Seven parties contested the elections as the Mgwirizano Coalition; the Republican Party, the People's Progressive Movement, the Movement for Genuine Democratic Change, the People's Transformation Party, the Malawi Forum for Unity and Development, the National Unity Party and the Malawi Democratic Party.

The Republican Party is a political party in Malawi. It was founded by Stanley Masauli and Gwanda Chakuamba in 2004. At the general election of 20 May 2004 its candidate for president won 25.7% of the vote, and the party was part of the Mgwirizano Coalition, which won 27 out of 194 seats.

The People's Progressive Movement is a political party in Malawi. At the elections of 20 May 2004, its candidate for president Aleke Banda won 2.5% and the party was part of the Mgwirizano Coalition, that won 27 out of 194 seats. Aleke Banda was the close friend of hastings Kamuzu Banda in 1956. He was among the people who founded the Nyasaland Congress Party. He was also saved as Ministry of Agriculture in the United Democratic Front (UDF) during Bakali Muluzi's time. He left UDF together with Mark Katsonga Phiri and formed their party after there was disagreement with Muluzi about the Presidency of Bingu wa Munthalika.

The Movement for Genuine Democratic Change is a political party in Malawi. At the last general elections, 20 May 2004, the party was part of the Mgwirizano Coalition, that won 27 out of 194 seats.

Results

President

CandidatePartyVotes%
Bingu wa Mutharika United Democratic Front 1,195,58635.97
John Tembo Malawi Congress Party 937,96528.22
Gwanda Chakuamba Mgwirizano Coalition 836,11825.16
Brown Mpinganjira National Democratic Alliance 286,3208.61
Justin Malewezi People's Progressive Movement 67,8122.04
Invalid/blank votes89,764–
Total3,413,565100
Registered voters/turnout5,752,02859.35
Source: CMI

National Assembly

Polling in six constituencies was delayed due to printing errors on the ballot papers. [4]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
United Democratic Front 801,20025.3449–44
Malawi Congress Party 785,67124.8557–9
National Democratic Alliance 256,7138.129New
Republican Party 231,0027.3115New
Alliance for Democracy 114,0173.616–23
People's Progressive Movement 98,5483.126New
Movement for Genuine Democratic Change 53,1271.683New
People's Transformation Party 21,1530.671New
Malawi Forum for Unity and Development 11,6550.370New
New Congress for Democracy9,5450.300New
Congress for National Unity 7,4100.231New
Malawi Democratic Party 2,4940.0800
National Unity Party 2,3360.070New
Pamodzi Freedom Party3630.010New
National Solidarity Movement2160.010New
Independents766,13724.2340+36
Unfilled seats––6–
Invalid/blank votes167,376–––
Total3,328,9631001930
Registered voters/turnout5,603,22559.41––
Source: MEC

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References

  1. ↑ Special report on general elections IRIN, 19 May 2004
  2. ↑ Malawi: 2004 Presidential election results EISA
  3. ↑ The Institutional Context of the 2004 General Elections in Malawi CMI
  4. ↑ Elections held in 2004 IPU
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