Opinion
Malawi democracy is more mature than it is given credit for
The number of independent parliamentarians in the country has grown with every election. There was no single independent member of parliament in 1994 when Malawians voted for the first time in a multi-party environment. Ten years later, 40 independent MPs won elections. The 2014 elections produced more independent MPs – 52 – than any political party.
There is this general perception that African democracies are flawed, which is not without justification, however, which democracy is perfect? The danger of this view is that we tend to concentrate on the negatives only.
Malawi’s democracy has shown resilience over the past 20 years. Service delivery and political scandal continue to cast a shadow but when it comes to succession, politicians in Malawi have always respected the rule of law, which is a good sign for any democracy.
Jimmy Kainja is a professor at Chancellor College, University of Malawi. He has a blog at www.jimmykainja.co.uk.
