Malawi: Government#
| Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Malawi conventional short form: Malawi local long form: Dziko la Malawi local short form: Malawi former: British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland Protectorate, Nyasaland etymology: named for the East African Maravi kingdom of the 16th century; the word "maravi" means "fire flames" |
|---|---|
| Government type | presidential republic |
| Capital | Lilongwe
Lilongwe
geographic coordinates: 13 58 S, 33 47 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) |
| Administrative divisions | 28 districts; Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Likoma, Lilongwe, Machinga, Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Neno, Ntcheu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Phalombe, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba |
| Independence | 6 July 1964 (from the UK) |
| National holiday | Independence Day (Republic Day), 6 July (1964) |
| Constitution | previous 1953 (preindependence), 1966; latest drafted January to May 1994, approved 16 May 1994, entered into force 18 May 1995; amended several times, last in 2013 (2016) |
| Legal system | mixed legal system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal |
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Malawi dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Arthur Peter MUTHARIKA (since 31 May 2014); Vice President Saulos CHILIMA (since 31 May 2014); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Arthur Peter MUTHARIKA (since 31 May 2014); Vice President Saulos CHILIMA (since 31 May 2014) cabinet: Cabinet named by the president elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 20 May 2014 (next to be held in May 2019) election results: Peter MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of vote - Peter MUTHARIKA (DPP) 36.4%, Lazarus CHAKWERA (MCP) 27.8%, Joyce BANDA (PP) 20.2%, Atupele MULUZI (UDF) 13.7%, other 1.9% |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms) elections: last held on 20-22 May 2014 (next to be held in May 2019) election results: percent of vote by party - DPP 22.0%, MCP 17.4%, PP 18.5%, UDF 9.6%, other 2.8%, independent 29.7%; seats by party - DPP 51, MCP 48, PP 26, UDF 14, other 2, independent 52 |
| Judicial branch | highest court(s): Supreme Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and at least 3 judges) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly; other judges appointed by the president upon recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission, which regulates judicial officers; judges serve until age 65 subordinate courts: High Court; magistrate courts; Industrial Relations Court; district and city traditional or local courts |
| Political parties and leaders | Alliance for Democracy or AFORD (Godfrey SHAWA) Democratic Progressive Party or DPP (Peter MUTHARIKA) Malawi Congress Party or MCP (Lazarus CHAKWERA) People's Party or PP (Joyce BANDA) United Democratic Front or UDF (Atupele MULUZI) |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | Council for NGOs in Malawi or CONGOMA (human rights, democracy, and development) Human Rights Consultative Committee or HRCC (human rights) Malawi Economic Justice Network or MEJN (pro economic growth, development, government accountability) Malawi Law Society (an umbrella organization of all lawyers in Malawi) Public Affairs Committee or PAC (promotes democracy, development, peace and unity) |
| International organization participation | ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Edward Yakobe SAWERENGERA (since 16 September 2016) chancery: 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (1) (202) 721-0270 FAX: (1) (202) 721-0288 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Virginia E. PALMER (since 5 February 2015) embassy: 16 Jomo Kenyatta Road, Lilongwe 3 mailing address: P.O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi telephone: (265) (1) 773-166 FAX: (265) (1) 770-471 |
| Flag description | three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered on the black band; black represents the native peoples, red the blood shed in their struggle for freedom, and green the color of nature; the rising sun represents the hope of freedom for the continent of Africa |
| National symbol(s) | lion; national colors: black, red, green |
| National anthem | name: "Mulungu dalitsa Malawi" (Oh God Bless Our Land of Malawi) lyrics/music: Michael-Fredrick Paul SAUKA note: adopted 1964 |