1992 Malawian general election

General elections were held in Malawi on 26 and 27 June 1992. the Malawi Congress Party was the sole legal party at the time, the country having become a one-party state in 1966. Voter turnout was reported to be 80% by the government, but was actually around 40%.[1] 62 incumbents lost their seats.[2]

1992 Malawian general election

← 1987 26–27 June 1992 1994 →
  First party
 
Leader Hastings Banda
Party MCP
Last election 102
Seats won 141
Seat change Increase 29

President before election

Hastings Banda
MCP

Elected President

Hastings Banda
MCP

Campaign

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The number of seats in the National Assembly was increased to 141, with president for life Hastings Banda able to appoint as many additional members as he saw fit to "enhance the representative character of the Assembly, or to represent particular minority or other special interests in the Republic."[2]

In total, 275 candidates contested the 141 seats, although in 45 there was only a single MCP candidate, who was elected unopposed.[2] All prospective candidates were vetted by Banda after being nominated by MCP committees,[3] and had to declare their allegiance to Banda in order to be allowed to stand.[4]

Results

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PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Malawi Congress Party141+29
Appointed members10–1
Total151+28
Total votes859,318
Registered voters/turnout2,203,10339.00
Source: African Elections Database, IPU

Aftermath

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In 1993, a year into the new legislature's term, a referendum on returning to multi-party democracy was held which saw voters end the MCP's 27-year monopoly on power. As a result, the elections initially scheduled for 1997 were brought forward to 1994.

References

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  1. ^ Malawi: Pressures for a MultiParty System EISA
  2. ^ a b c Malawi Inter-Parliamentary Union
  3. ^ Malawi: Era of One Party Rule (1964-1992) Archived 2010-01-25 at the Wayback Machine EISA
  4. ^ "Malawi Handbook" (PDF). Central Intelligence Agency. 1971.