2009 Malawian general election
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General elections were held in Malawi on 19 May 2009. Incumbent President Bingu wa Mutharika ran for re-election; his main opponent was John Tembo, the president of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP). Five other candidates also ran.[1] The election was won by Mutharika, who was re-elected to the Presidency with around two-thirds of the vote.[2] Mutharika's DPP also won a strong parliamentary majority.[3]
Electoral system[]
Voter registration started in August 2008 and was scheduled to end on 29 November 2008, but on 20 November (by which time 3.5 million voters had been registered) it was announced that registration would be extended into December. This extension was caused by problems related to digital cameras that were necessary to the process.[4]
Between 2 February and 6 February, presidential and parliamentary candidates submitted their nomination papers.[5] The official campaigning period began on 17 March and is scheduled to conclude on 17 May. Parliament was dissolved on 20 March, in accordance with the constitution,[6] and subsequently the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC)will announce which candidates have been deemed eligible.[7]
Campaign[]
On 22 October 2008, Hetherwick Ntaba, the Secretary-General of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), announced that the DPP national governing council had unanimously endorsed Mutharika as the party's presidential candidate a few days earlier.[8] However, Foreign Minister Joyce Banda said on 16 January 2009 that Mutharika felt the endorsement of the council was inadequate and that he wanted the endorsement of the party's base. Therefore, he sought the backing of the delegates at a DPP convention.[9] Later, as the DPP presidential candidate, Mutharika chose Banda as his vice-presidential candidate.[10]
Bakili Muluzi, who was designated as the UDF's (United Democratic Front) presidential candidate, previously served two terms as president from 1994 to 2004. According to the constitution, a president is allowed to serve no more than two consecutive five-year terms. Because Muluzi had been out of office since 2004, his supporters argued that the term limit should not apply to him, as it did not restrict nonconsecutive terms if interpreted literally.[5]
Speaking to Capital Radio on 22 February 2009, Muluzi accused the government of using intimidation against his candidacy and warned that such conduct could lead to "problems".[7] A few days later, he was charged by the Anti-Corruption Bureau with stealing 12 million dollars of aid money; he appeared before a court in Blantyre and was released on bail.[11] The Electoral Commission stated he was not eligible to run again, but his supporters are calling for an official court decision instead.[12] On 16 May, only three days before the election, the Constitutional Court ruled that Muluzi could not run again.[13]
MCP President John Tembo was considered the main opposition candidate, and the MCP formed an electoral alliance with the UDF prior to the election.[1] Tembo's vice-presidential candidate was Brown Mpinganjira of the UDF.[14] Observing that the DPP had never participated in an election (it was founded in 2005), Tembo argued that he and the MCP had the experience to govern the country properly: "I belong to the past, I belong to the present and I also belong to the future."[15]
Independent candidate James Nyondo submitted his nomination papers on 4 February and claims to have sponsored over 120 independent parliamentary candidates by paying the MK 100,000 ($700 USD) nomination fee. He is the only independent candidate in the 2009 presidential election and has campaigned on the need for a new generation of leadership, a smaller cabinet, and an end to the personal extravagance of the current and previous governments.[16][17][18]
of the submitted her presidential candidacy on 3 February, becoming the first woman to run for president in Malawi. She stressed the importance of holding a free and fair election and avoiding the kind of post-election turmoil that affected Kenya and Zimbabwe in 2008.[19]
Observers expected a close election between the two strongest candidates, Mutharika and Tembo. While Tembo enjoyed the united backing of the country's two most established and powerful parties—the MCP and the UDF—he faced an incumbent president who had presided over strong economic growth of 8%, and the outcome was considered uncertain.[15]
Mutharika, who was 75 years old at the time of the election, said that he would retire from politics if he lost the election and that he would retire in 2014 if he was successful in winning a second term.[15]
Conduct[]
On the day of the election, , which is owned by UDF Chairman Bakili Muluzi, was closed by the police after it broadcast a satire that lampooned Mutharika. Two of the station's presenters and a technician were arrested.[20] Tembo alleged that the government had committed electoral fraud with opposition poll agents being denied access to the vote counting centres. An EU observation team also noted that state television had failed to be neutral during the election campaigns, supporting the government.[21]
Results[]
The Malawi Electoral Commission declared that Bingu wa Mutharika had won the presidential election on 21 May 2009, after 93% of votes had been counted.[21] Mutharika gained 2.9 million votes with John Tembo, his nearest rival, winning 1.4 million.
In the National Assembly elections, the DPP won 114 seats (though the election of the vice president vacated one of those), obtaining a strong majority in the 193-seat National Assembly, while the MCP trailed distantly with 26 seats and the UDF won only 17.[3] Mutharika and the DPP won an overwhelming victory in northern Malawi, but also performed well in the central and southern regions, although those regions have been historically dominated by the MCP and UDF respectively. Some analysts suggested that this election marked a departure from Malawi's traditional voting patterns, which are heavily influenced by region.[22] Unlike Tembo, Muluzi accepted the official results of the election.[3] 32 independent MPs were elected, though many of those started joining the DPP after the election; one seat was won by the Maravi People's Party (MPP), the Alliance for Democracy (Aford) and the Malawi Forum for Unity and Development (MAFUNDE). In one constituency, the election was postponed.[23]
President[]
Candidate | Running mate | Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bingu wa Mutharika | Joyce Banda | Democratic Progressive Party | 2,963,820 | 66.17 | |
John Tembo | Brown Mpinganjira | Malawi Congress Party | 1,365,672 | 30.49 | |
Kamuzu Walter Chibambo | Stanley Alex Robert Mnenula | People's Transformation Party | 35,358 | 0.79 | |
Stanley Edingtone Masauli | Sophie Kuthyola | Republican Party | 33,982 | 0.76 | |
Loveness Gondwe | Beatrice Roseby Mwale | New Rainbow Coalition | 32,432 | 0.72 | |
James Mbowe Nyondo] | Vivian Mark Thunyani | Independent | 27,460 | 0.61 | |
Dindi Gowa Nyasulu | Chinkhokwe Tyson Banda | Alliance for Democracy | 20,150 | 0.45 | |
Total | 4,478,874 | 100.00 | |||
Valid votes | 4,478,874 | 97.45 | |||
Invalid/blank votes | 117,028 | 2.55 | |||
Total votes | 4,595,902 | 100.00 | |||
Registered voters/turnout | 5,871,819 | 78.27 | |||
Source: African Elections Database |
National Assembly[]
Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic Progressive Party | 1,739,202 | 39.99 | 114 | New | |
Malawi Congress Party | 562,859 | 12.94 | 26 | –31 | |
United Democratic Front | 562,025 | 12.92 | 17 | –32 | |
People's Progressive Movement | 48,389 | 1.11 | 0 | –6 | |
New Republican Party | 43,009 | 0.99 | 0 | New | |
Alliance for Democracy | 38,427 | 0.88 | 1 | –5 | |
New Rainbow Coalition | 30,847 | 0.71 | 0 | New | |
Congress of Democrats | 19,432 | 0.45 | 0 | New | |
Maravi People's Party | 17,609 | 0.40 | 1 | New | |
People's Transformation Party | 8,498 | 0.20 | 0 | –1 | |
Malawi Forum for Unity and Development | 6,831 | 0.16 | 1 | +1 | |
Republican Party | 4,111 | 0.09 | 0 | –15 | |
Malawi Democratic Party | 456 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
National Patriotic Front | 438 | 0.01 | 0 | New | |
National Unity Party | 284 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
People's Popular Front | 128 | 0.00 | 0 | New | |
Congress for National Unity | 92 | 0.00 | 0 | –1 | |
Independents | 1,266,681 | 29.12 | 32 | –8 | |
Vacant | 1 | – | |||
Total | 4,349,318 | 100.00 | 193 | 0 | |
Valid votes | 4,349,318 | 95.37 | |||
Invalid/blank votes | 211,074 | 4.63 | |||
Total votes | 4,560,392 | 100.00 | |||
Registered voters/turnout | 5,846,264 | 78.01 | |||
Source: MEC |
Elected MPs[]
A partial list of elected MPs from 156 constituencies:[24]
MP | Party | Constituency | Region |
---|---|---|---|
IND | Chitipa East | Northern | |
DPP | Balaka North | Southern | |
IND | Mwanza Central | Southern | |
DPP | Mwanza West | Southern | |
IND | Blantyre Kabula | Southern | |
DPP | Blantyre City South-East | Southern | |
Henry Mussa | DPP | Chiradzulu East | Southern |
Margaret Roka Mauwa | DPP | Chiradzulu North | Southern |
Eunice Kazembe | DPP | Chiradzulu South | Southern |
DPP | Chiradzulu West | Southern | |
UDF | Mangochi Central | Southern | |
Fraser Nihorya | DPP | Mulanje Limbuli | Southern |
DPP | Mulanje North | Southern | |
DPP | Mulanje South | Southern | |
Patricia Annie Kaliati | DPP | Mulanje West | Southern |
DPP | Ntchisi North-East | Central | |
DPP | Rumphi East | Northern | |
DPP | Rumphi Central | Northern | |
DPP | Rumphi West | Northern | |
DPP | Rumphi North | Northern | |
IND | Likoma Islands | Northern | |
Chimunthu Banda | DPP | Nkhotakota North | Central |
Daniel Liwimbi | DPP | Nkhotakota North-East | Central |
IND | Nkhotakota Central | Central | |
IND | Nkhotakota South | Central | |
IND | Nkhotakota South East | Central | |
IND | Chitipa South | Northern | |
DPP | Chitipa Central | Northern | |
DPP | Chitipa North | Northern | |
IND | Chitipa Wenya | Northern | |
DPP | Karonga North | Northern | |
DPP | Karonga North West | Northern | |
IND | Karonga Central | Northern | |
AFORD | Karonga Nyungwe | Northern | |
DPP | Karonga South | Northern | |
Peter Nelson Mwanza | DPP | Mzuzu City | Northern |
Goodall Edward Gondwe | DPP | Mzimba North | Northern |
Catherine Gotani Hara | DPP | Mzimba North East | Northern |
Billy Kaunda | IND | Mzimba West | Northern |
IND | Mzimba South | Northern | |
Donton Samuel Job Mkandawire | DPP | Mzimba Central | Northern |
NARC | Mzimba Hora | Northern | |
DPP | Mzimba Luwelezi | Northern | |
DPP | Mzimba Solora | Northern | |
Abbie Marambika Shaba | DPP | Mzimba East | Northern |
DPP | Mzimba South West | Northern | |
DPP | Mzimba South East | Northern | |
Ephraim Mganda Chiume | DPP | Nkhata-Bay North | Northern |
DPP | Nkhata-Bay Central | Northern | |
Grace Chiumia | DPP | Nkhata-Bay West | Northern |
DPP | Nkhata-Bay North West | Northern | |
DPP | Nkhata-Bay South East | Northern | |
Etta Elizabeth Banda | DPP | Nkhata-Bay South | Northern |
DPP | Kasungu North | Central | |
DPP | Kasungu North North-East | Central | |
Otria Moyo Jere | DPP | Kasungu West | Central |
DPP | Kasungu North-West | Central | |
IND | Kasungu South | Central | |
DPP | Kasungu South East | Central | |
DPP | Kasungu East | Central | |
Ken Edward Kandodo | DPP | Kasungu Central | Central |
DPP | Kasungu North East | Central | |
DPP | Ntchisi East | Central | |
DPP | Ntchisi South | Central | |
DPP | Ntchisi North | Central | |
DPP | Dowa East | Central | |
DPP | Dowa South-East | Central | |
Leckford Thotho Mwanza | DPP | Dowa North-East | Central |
DPP | Dowa Ngala | Central | |
DPP | Dowa Central | Central | |
IND | Dowa West | Central | |
IND | Dowa North | Central | |
MCP | Salima North | Central | |
DPP | Salima Central | Central | |
MPP | Salima South | Central | |
MCP | Salima South-East | Central | |
DPP | Salima North-West | Central | |
IND | Mchinji North | Central | |
MCP | Mchinji North-East | Central | |
DPP | Mchinji East | Central | |
Theresa Gloria Mwale | DPP | Mchinji West | Central |
IND | Mchinji South | Central | |
DPP | Mchinji South-West | Central | |
MCP | Dedza North | Central | |
Sosten Gwengwe | MCP | Dedza Central | Central |
MCP | Dedza South-West | Central | |
MCP | Dedza North-West | Central | |
DPP | Dedza East | Central | |
MCP | Dedza West | Central | |
MCP | Dedza Central-East | Central | |
John Zenas Ungapake Tembo | MCP | Dedza South | Central |
DPP | Ntcheu North-East | Central | |
DPP | Ntcheu Bwanje North | Central | |
Grandson Lucious Kanyumba | DPP | Ntcheu Bwanje South | Central |
DPP | Ntcheu Central | Central | |
DPP | Ntcheu South | Central | |
DPP | Ntcheu North | Central | |
DPP | Ntcheu West | Central | |
DPP | Lilongwe Mapuyu North | Central | |
MCP | Lilongwe Mapuyu South | Central | |
MCP | Lilongwe North | Central | |
MCP | Lilongwe Msozi South | Central | |
IND | Lilongwe Msozi North | Central | |
MCP | Lilongwe Kumachenga | Central | |
MCP | Lilongwe North-East | Central | |
DPP | Lilongwe City West | Central | |
IND | Lilongwe Mpenu Nkhoma | Central | |
MCP | Lilongwe Mpenu | Central | |
MCP | Lilongwe South East | Central | |
MCP | Lilongwe East | Central | |
DPP | Lilongwe City Central | Central | |
Lobin Lowe | MCP | Lilongwe Central | Central |
MCP | Lilongwe North-West | Central | |
IND | Lilongwe City North | Central | |
MCP | Lilongwe South West | Central | |
DPP | Lilongwe City South East | Central | |
DPP | Lilongwe City South West | Central | |
MCP | Lilongwe Msinja North | Central | |
MCP | Lilongwe Msinja South | Central | |
MCP | Lilongwe South | Central | |
UDF | Balaka Central East | Southern | |
Nasrin Pillane | DPP | Balaka West | Southern |
Mafunde | Balaka South | Southern | |
UDF | Mangochi North | Southern | |
UDF | Mangochi North-East | Southern | |
UDF | Mangochi Malombe | Southern | |
UDF | Mangochi East | Southern | |
IND | Mangochi South | Southern | |
UDF | Mangochi South West | Southern | |
UDF | Mangochi Nkungulu | Southern | |
IND | Mangochi West | Southern | |
DPP | Mangochi Monkey Bay | Southern | |
IND | Mangochi Lutende | Southern | |
UDF | Mangochi Masongola | Southern | |
Atupele Muluzi | UDF | Machinga North-East | Southern |
UDF | Machinga Central | Southern | |
UDF | Machinga Central East | Southern | |
UDF | Machinga East | Southern | |
UDF | Machinga South | Southern | |
UDF | Machinga Likwenu | Southern | |
UDF | Machinga South East | Southern | |
DPP | Zomba Nsondole | Southern | |
DPP | Zomba Thondwe | Southern | |
DPP | Zomba Chingale | Southern | |
DPP | Zomba Changalume | Southern | |
DPP | Zomba Lisanjala | Southern | |
Joyce Banda | DPP | Zomba Malosa | Southern |
DPP | Zomba Ntonya | Southern | |
Yunus Mussa | DPP | Zomba Central | Southern |
IND | Zomba Likangala | Southern | |
IND | Zomba Chisi | Southern | |
DPP | Neno South | Southern | |
DPP | Neno North | Southern |
Aftermath[]
Mutharika and Joyce Banda were respectively sworn in as president and vice-president on 22 May 2009. The MCP boycotted the event, but Muluzi was present.[25] Some in the MCP called for the party to recognize Mutharika's victory and for Tembo to resign as MCP president. Tembo refused and vowed to legally challenge the results.[26]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Malawi president accuses donors of meddling in polls", AFP, 8 May 2009.
- ^ "Malawi president wins re-election". Associated Press / Google. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Malawi vote gives president control", Sapa-AP (IOL), 25 May 2009.
- ^ "Malawi to extend voter registration", AFP (IOL), 21 November 2008.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Constitutional crisis on Malawi candidates" Archived 2010-09-23 at the Wayback Machine, Nyasa Times (The Zimbabwean), 19 February 2009.
- ^ "Malawi paves way for poll", Sapa-AFP (IOL), 20 March 2009.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Malawi's former president complains of 'intimidation'", AFP, 22 February 2009.
- ^ "DPP endorses Mutharika", AFP (IOL), 22 October 2008.
- ^ "Malawi leader seeks assurances from his party", AFP (IOL), 16 January 2009.
- ^ "Women are ready to stand in Malawi poll", Sapa-AFP (IOL), 17 May 2009.
- ^ "Malawi ex-president charged with graft", AFP, 26 February 2009.
- ^ "Malawi ex-leader fights poll ban". BBC News. 23 March 2009. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
- ^ "Malawi court dismiss ex-president's bid for office", AFP, 16 May 2009.
- ^ Raphael Tenthani, "John Tembo: Poised for power?", BBC News, 14 May 2009.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Raphael Tenthani, "Malawians go to polls Tuesday in closest-ever polls" Archived 2009-05-20 at the Wayback Machine, Pana, 17 May 2009.
- ^ "Fire deputy ministers says Nyondo" Archived 2009-02-14 at the Wayback Machine, The Daily Times, 10 February 2009
- ^ "Nyondo slams Bingu over flashy hummers" Archived 2009-05-31 at the Wayback Machine, The Daily Times, 10 February 2009
- ^ "Bingu Blasts Nyondo" Archived 2009-04-24 at the Wayback Machine, 20 April 2009
- ^ "First Malawi woman seeks to run for president", AFP, 3 February 2009.
- ^ "Malawi: "Joy Radio" station closed by police" Archived 2009-05-28 at the Wayback Machine, Afrik.com, 20 May 2009.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Malawi president wins re-election". BBC. 22 May 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2009.
- ^ Felix Mponda, "Malawi vote marks new era: analysts", AFP, 21 May 2009.
- ^ "Malawi's new parliament sworn in". People's Daily Online. 2009-06-02. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
- ^ "Malawi Election 2009 Results". African Elections Project. Retrieved 2011-03-04.
- ^ "Mutharika starts second term as Malawi president", AFP, 22 May 2009.
- ^ "Malawi opposition leader refuses to step down" Archived 2009-05-27 at the Wayback Machine, Radio Netherlands, 24 May 2009.
External links[]
- Presidential elections in Malawi
- Elections in Malawi
- 2009 elections in Africa
- 2009 in Malawi
- May 2009 events in Africa