Country background
Malawi is a small country with a landmass of 118,480 km sq. and, according to the 2008 census, has a population of 13.1 million people, making it one of the most densely populated countries in Africa. A large percentage, estimated to be around 80 per cent of the population, live in rural areas and agriculture is the mainstay of the economy. Malawi is rated one of the least developed countries and faces many development challenges, and despite some positive growth in the economy, approximately 40 per cent of the national budget is still dependent on foreign aid. English and Chichewa are the two official languages and English is widely spoken. Malawi has one of the worst HIV problems in Africa with an infection rate in adults estimated to be 14 per cent. Adult literacy is estimated to be approximately 64 per cent of the population. Besides the traditional African beliefs, the two major religions are Christianity (80 per cent) and Islam (13 per cent). The north of the country is predominantly Christian while Muslims are more concentrated in the central and southern regions.
Structure of governance
The president, who is both head of state and head of government, is directly elected for a five-year term, and can serve no more than two consecutive terms in office. A vice president is elected concurrently with the president, both names appearing on the same ballot paper. The president may, in the national interest, appoint a second vice president who must be from a different party. In such cases the vice president is designated as the first vice president. The president appoints a cabinet, whose members need not be members of parliament. Malawi has a unicameral parliament, the National Assembly. Its 193 members are elected by popular vote from single-member constituencies for a term of five years. The 1995 constitution also provides for a second house, a senate of 80 indirectly elected members, but to date no action had been taken to create this institution. The idea of a second chamber was abandoned in 2001 on the understanding that government simple does not have the resources to support a second chamber in parliament.
The president basically provides leadership to the executive. Section 88 (2) of the constitution provides that ‘the president shall provide executive leadership in the interest of national unity in accordance with this constitution and the laws of the Republic.’ The presidency comprises the high offices of the president, vice president and (where applicable) the second vice president. According to section 78 of the constitution, the president is head of state and government and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
|
