Church, Law and Political Transition in Malawi 1992-1994

Book excerpt: The year 2020 began in Malawi with a moment of high political drama. On 3 February, the Constitutional Court declared the Presidential election of May 2019 invalid, null and void. Its judgement laid bare the extent of the irregularities that marred the conduct of the election and vindicated the widespread popular view that its result was not valid. The Courts requirement that the election be re-run ignited a flurry of political and parliamentary activity, suggesting that the country might be on the cusp of significant change. It remains to be seen what the eventual outcome will be. Meanwhile there may be value in looking back to an earlier time of dramatic political transition when Malawi shook off the shackles of one-party government and embraced multi-party democracy in 1992-94. In that process too, the courts played an active role, though it was from the witness of the churches that the initial impetus came. In this book theologians and lawyers join forces with other scholars to offer a comprehensive analysis of a turning-point in Malawis political history. This reprint is offered in the hope that lessons learned from the past can help to shape the future as Malawians arrive once again at a decisive moment.