Malawi has a multi-party system with over 40 registered political parties.The political process in Malawi is such that parties are voted into power. Parties participate in an electoral process. The parties with the most representation in the National Assembly are the People’s Party (PP), Malawi Congress Party (MCP), United Democratic Front (UDF), and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Under the country’s 1966, 1994 and 1995 constitutions, the President is executive head of state. The first President was elected by the National Assembly, but later presidents were elected in direct popular elections for a five-year term. In the event of a vacancy, the Vice-President becomes President.
| ? | President (Birth–Death) |
Portrait | Tenure | Elected | Political affiliation (at time of appointment) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in Office | ||||||
| 1 | Hastings Banda (1899–1997) [1] |
 |
6 July 1966 | 24 May 1994 | 27 years,319 days | Malawi Congress Party | ||
| 2 | Bakili Muluzi (1942–) |
 |
24 May 1994 | 24 May 2004 | 10 years,3 days | 1994 1999 |
United Democratic Front | |
| 3 | Bingu wa Mutharika (1934–2012) |
 |
24 May 2004 | 5 April 2012 (died in office.) |
7 years,316 days | 2004 | United Democratic Front | |
| 2009 | Democratic Progressive Party [2] | |||||||
| 4 | Joyce Banda (1949–) |
 |
7 April 2012 | 31 May 2014 | 2 years,54 days | – | People’s Party | |
| 5 | Peter Mutharika (1939–) |
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31 May 2014 | Incumbent | 4 years,103 days | 2014 | Democratic Progressive Party | |
LILONGWE (Maravi Post)—A brutal battle of accusations and counter accusations of Malawian billionaires in a deal gone bad has ensued and last time such battle happened, one Paul Mphwiyo of the infamous Malawi cashgate scandal was almost assassinated by a masked gunman in Lilongwe. The Maravi Post hopes this war of words will not end up in bloodshed. Continue reading ‘Shit or get off the pot,’ Dr Chikaonda tears apart businessman JC Mbele: Malawi billionaire’s battle
“After three years of isolation, humiliation and name calling,” former Malawi president Joyce Banda said at the funeral of former South African president and anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela, “I found myself in a situation where I had to work with those who had desired to prevent me from becoming President of my country.” Continue reading Ex Malawi Pres Joyce Banda: Is she in exile or now a fugitive?
BLANTYRE(MaraviPost)—In a clear demonstration that political parties’ manifestos are just the tools to fool the innocent Malawians, President Peter Mutharika has categorically told the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) that he is not reducing his powers as the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) manifesto stipulates.
Continue reading Change of Political terrain forces Mutharika to discard DPP manifesto: PAC meeting
To say Patricia Kaliati is controversial would be an understatement. After the death of President Bingu WA Mutharika, she was involved in a constitutional crisis in Malawi and was dubbed as one of the ‘midnight six’. President WA Mutharika died on April 5, 2012 and there was an attempted constitutional coup that she is connected to. On 6 April 2012 Kaliati addressed a press conference as government spokesperson, she said “Honourable Joyce Banda was not eligible to take over the leadership of this country because she formed her own party”. Joyce Banda was sworn in as President the next day.
Z Allan Ntata, former legal advisor to late Malawi President Bingu Wa Mutharika has been heavily censured by his followers on his facebook page after he launched an assault on MCP President Lazarus Chakwera.
