A Win for Democracy and a Win for Justice in Malawi
Nelson Mandela, a global icon for democracy, a few days after his release from jail on Feb. 25, 1990.
Democracy is the rule of the people by a government that practices principles of social equality. It is one of the most sustained political ideas ingrained into society as “the belief in freedom and equality between people.”[1] Under strong leaders like Mandela, democracy has triumphed as he fought for equal representation, but in fledgeling democracies elsewhere, nations have increasingly succumbed to populism under totalitarian leaders. For some, this problem has only been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Joyce Banda, President of Malawi 2012-2014, Vice-President of Malawi 2009-2012.
However, Malawi has managed to thrive despite the coronavirus crisis, showing resilience and determination to overcome previous and current political hurdles. Before the 2020 elections, the government was riddled with corruption, with instances of finances from Auditor General’s June report going missing. Also, over $1 billion was stolen during Peter Mutharika’s administration (May 2014 - June 2020). Even under Joyce Banda, Malawi’s first female president, corruption was still an issue, for example the 2013 “Cashgate” scandal - a $32m heist of public money.[2] Corruption has mainly been reduced through Malawi’s Public Service reforms that improved transparency within the civil service and oversaw the decentralisation of government power, delegating jobs such as the financial accounting for public services to local councils. This strengthened government institutions and brought transparency between the executive, judiciary and legislative bodies. As a result, Malawi had a better base to deal with the pandemic and it was still able to take rapid and decisive action where necessary, seen by their quick implementation of new Covid-19 regulations in response to the South African variant.
Votes are counted in Malawi, 2019.
The First-past-the-post electoral system in Malawi has created disparities between candidates, as historically elections have shown regionalised and ethnic voting patterns. Those in the central and northern regions voted for the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) or United Transformation Movement (UTM) and southerners voted for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). But after the events of the previous administration, the judiciary exercised their independence and leadership by annulling the fraudulent 2019 election due to “widespread irregularities”[3], which included the use of Tippex on ballot papers. This positive action has opened the door for more nuanced pan-Malawian parties, as they are free to stand and have a fair chance to be elected, so long as their party’s candidate can gain at least 50% of votes. They can trust the judiciary to assure the legitimacy of the result, ensuring Malawi’s constitutional democracy stands. The Malawi Electoral and Law Commission and civil society also play a part alongside the judiciary to ensure secure elections and pre-election reform.
Opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera wins Malawi’s presidential election re-run, 2020. Voter turnout was 64.81 percent.
Civic engagement is crucial as “active citizens are crucial to the health of democracy.”[4] For Malawi to be a strong democracy it requires a mandate from its people; policy needs to evolve to reflect the Malawians’ values, sentiments and behaviour, otherwise it will be a “choiceless democracy” that Thandika Mkandwire (Professor of African Development at the London School of Economics) warned about. Out of all voters, 3.7 million were youth, of which 2.1m where women and 1.6m men. This was helped by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which worked on outreach projects to increase the numbers of women and youth voters. Furthermore, the government launched a National Civic Education policy in December 2020, promoting democracy and helping to hold the state to account by better educating the new generation.
The recent election has highlighted “the importance of robust and independent state institutions and a vibrant civil society in upholding electoral integrity and democracy.”[5] Malawi has faced repression and is still fighting it but has managed to be resilient and be the “only place where (democracy and respect for human rights) has improved.”[6] They have shown to the West and the whole world how to persevere in the face of anti-democratic adversity.
Written by Tapiwa Chingati-Phiri - Entrant in the AASOA x Exeter ACS Engage in Africa Short Essay Prize.
Bibliography:
1. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/democracy
2. https://www.economist.com/baobab/2014/02/27/the-32m-heist
4. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201719/ldselect/ldcitizen/118/11809.htm
6. https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/12/19/which-is-the-economists-country-of-the-year