Country name:
conventional long form:
Republic of Malawi
conventional short form:
Malawi
former:
Nyasaland
Data code:
MI
Government type:
multiparty democracy
Capital:
Lilongwe
Administrative divisions:
24 districts; Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa,
Karonga, Kasungu, Lilongwe, Machinga (Kasupe), Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje,
Mwanza, Mzimba, Ntcheu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Rumphi,
Salima, Thyolo, Zomba
Independence:
6 July 1964 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day 6 July (1964); Republic Day 6 July (1966)
Constitution:
18 May 1995
Legal system:
based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of
legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Bakili MULUZI (since 21 May 1994); note—the president is both
the chief of state and head of government
head of government:
President Bakili MULUZI (since 21 May 1994); note—the president is both
the chief of state and head of government
cabinet:
Cabinet named by the president
elections:
president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held
17 May 1994 (next to be held by May 1999)
election results:
Bakili MULUZI elected president; percent of vote—NA
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (177 seats; members are elected by popular
vote to serve five-year terms)
elections:
last held 17 May 1994 (next to be held by May 1999)
election results:
percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—UDF 84, AFORD 33, MCP 55,
others 5; note—because of defections and byelections, the distribution of
seats in the National Assembly had changed at the end of the 1996 as
follows: UDF 84, MCP 47, AFORD 34, independents 8, and vacant 4
note:
the constitution of 18 May 1995, in addition to reducing the age at which
universal suffrage is conferred from 21 to 18 years, provided for a
bicameral legislature; by 1999, in addition to the existing National
Assembly, a Senate of 80 seats is to be elected
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Appeal; High Court (chief justice appointed by the
president, puisne judges appointed on the advice of the Judicial Service
Commission); magistrate's courts
Political parties and leaders:
ruling party:
United Democratic Front or UDF [Bakili MULUZI]
opposition groups:
Alliance for Democracy or AFORD [Chakufwa CHIHANA]; Congress for the Second
Republic or CSR [Kanyama CHIUME]; Malawi Congress Party or MCP [Gwanda
CHAKUAMBA, president, John TEMBO, vice president]; Malawi Democratic Party
or MDP [Kampelo KALUA, president]; People Democratic Party or PDP [Rolf
PATEL]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Eston KAKHOME, president]
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
NAM, OAU, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Willie CHOKANI
chancery:
2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 797-1007
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Amelia Ellen SHIPPY
embassy:
address NA, in new development area in Lilongwe
mailing address:
P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi
telephone:
[265] 783 166
FAX:
[265] 780 471
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant,
rising, red sun centered in the black band
