Malawi: The Slippery Slide Towards Autocracy?

This situation report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the political climate in Malawi as of November 2003, focusing on President Bakili Muluzi's efforts to amend the constitution to secure a third term in office. The document details the tension between the executive and the judiciary, the fragmentation of political parties based on leadership personalities rather than ideology, and the risk of Malawi regressing toward the autocratic patterns seen during the regime of Hastings Kamuzu Banda.

• President Bakili Muluzi of the United Democratic Front (UDF) has attempted to amend the constitution to allow for a third term in office, a move that critics suggest indicates a regression toward autocracy and resembles the tactics used by his predecessor, Kamuzu Banda.
• The UDF attempted to lower the threshold for constitutional amendments from two-thirds to "50 and one percent" in November 2001 to facilitate the approval of a third presidential term.
• A parliamentary vote on 4 July 2002 to allow an open term presidency failed by three votes, receiving 125 votes in favor against the 128 required for a two-thirds majority.
• The Muluzi administration has targeted the judiciary to remove obstacles to constitutional changes, including the impeachment of three senior high court judges, specifically Judge Dunstain Mwaungulu, to replace them with more supportive judges.
• Malawian political parties are characterized by internal divisions and unstable coalitions driven by leadership personalities rather than policy or ideological disputes.
• Civil society and religious organizations, including the Catholic Church, the Blantyre synod of the Church of Central African Presbyterian (CCAP), and the Law Society of Malawi, have actively opposed the third-term bid through pamphlets and protests.
• The document notes a lack of public condemnation from African Union leaders and regional peers regarding the subversion of democracy in Malawi, comparing the situation to trends in Zimbabwe and Zambia.

APA

Maroleng, C. (2003). Malawi: The Slippery Slide Towards Autocracy? Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/topics/corruption-and-governance/12-nov-2002-malawi-the-slippery-slide-towards-autocracy

Chicago

Maroleng, Chris. Malawi: The Slippery Slide Towards Autocracy? Institute for Security Studies, 2003. https://issafrica.org/topics/corruption-and-governance/12-nov-2002-malawi-the-slippery-slide-towards-autocracy.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Maroleng |first1=Chris |title=Malawi: The Slippery Slide Towards Autocracy? |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=12 November 2003 |url=https://issafrica.org/topics/corruption-and-governance/12-nov-2002-malawi-the-slippery-slide-towards-autocracy |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{maroleng2003malawi, author = {Maroleng, Chris}, title = {{Malawi: The Slippery Slide Towards Autocracy?}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2003}, month = nov, url = {https://issafrica.org/topics/corruption-and-governance/12-nov-2002-malawi-the-slippery-slide-towards-autocracy}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }