Malawi Congress Party
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2014) |
Malawi Congress Party | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | MCP |
| President | Lazarus Chakwera |
| Secretary-General | Richard Chimwendo Banda |
| Treasurer General | John Paul |
| Publicity Secretary | Jessie Kabwila |
| Founder | Orton Chirwa Aleke Banda |
| Founded | 30 September 1959 |
| Preceded by | Nyasaland African Congress |
| Headquarters | Lilongwe |
| Youth wing | Malawi Young Pioneers (disbanded) |
| Ideology | Ubuntu Conservatism[1] African nationalism[2] Anti-colonialism Anti-communism |
| Political position |
|
| Regional affiliation | Democrat Union of Africa |
| International affiliation | Centrist Democrat International |
| Colors | Black, Red and Green |
| National Assembly | 55 / 193
|
| SADC PF | 0 / 5
|
| Pan-African Parliament | 0 / 5
|
| Election symbol | |
| Cockerel | |
| Party flag | |
 | |
| Website | |
| www | |
The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) is a political party in Malawi. It was formed as a successor party to the banned Nyasaland African Congress when the country, then known as Nyasaland, was under British rule. The MCP, under Hastings Banda, presided over Malawian independence in 1964, and from 1966 to 1993 was the only legal party in the country. It has continued to be a major force in the country since losing power.
Following a court order to have a rerun of the 2019 Presidential election, a fresh Presidential election was held on 23 June 2020 which resulted in the MCP and its Tonse Alliance partners receiving approximately 60% of the national vote ushering the party back into government.
History
[edit]The Malawi Congress Party was the successor to the Nyasaland African Congress (NAC) party, which was banned in 1959. The MCP was founded in 1959 by Orton Chirwa, Nyasaland's first African barrister, soon after his release from Gwelo Prison, and other NAC leaders including Aleke Banda and S. Kamwendo, in agreement with Hastings Kamuzu Banda, who remained in prison. The purpose for dashing the original NAC to form the MCP was the need for free operation since NAC was a banned party by that time.
Orton Chirwa became the first MCP president and later was succeeded by Hastings Banda after he was released from Gwelo Prison. Banda continued to hold the Presidency until his death in 1997.
In the 1961 Nyasaland elections, the MCP won all the seats in the legislature and later led Nyasaland to independence as Malawi in 1964. When Malawi became a republic in 1966, the MCP was formally declared to be the only legal party. For the next 27 years, the government and the MCP were effectively one. All adult citizens were required to be party members. They had to carry "party cards" in their wallets at all times.
The MCP lost its monopoly on power in a 1993 referendum and was roundly defeated in the country's first free elections the next year. It remains a major force in Malawian politics. It is strongest in the central region, populated by ethnic Chewa and Nyanja people.
Affiliates
[edit]The current MCP set up has seen the sprung up of affiliate groups that are all working to strengthen the party. Among them are Kokoliko , Mighty Tambala Graduates, Born Free and Malawi Congress Party Diaspora Network (MCPDN) . The MCP Diaspora Network has seen all MCP members and supporters living outside Malawi working together in support of the mother party back home.[3] It has Regional Wings in countries like UK, RSA, USA, Republic of Ireland, Canada, and the Gulf Region. The MCPDN current leader is UK based Chalo Mvula[4]
Presidents
[edit]- Orton Chirwa 1959–1960
- Kamuzu Banda 1960–1994
- Gwanda Chakuamba 1994–2003
- John Tembo 2003–2013
- Lazarus Chakwera 2013–present
Electoral history
[edit]Presidential elections
[edit]| Election | Party candidate | Votes | % | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Hastings Banda | 996,353 | 33.44% | Lost 
|
| 1999 | Gwanda Chakuamba | 2,106,790 | 45.21% | Lost
|
| 2004 | John Tembo | 937,965 | 28.22% | Lost
|
| 2009 | 1,365,672 | 30.49% | Lost
| |
| 2014 | Lazarus Chakwera | 1,455,880 | 27.8% | Lost
|
| 2019 | 1,781,740 | 35.41% | Lost
| |
| 2020 | 2,604,043 | 59.34% | Elected 
|
National Assembly elections
[edit]| Election | Party leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Orton Chirwa | Lower roll | 71,659 | 98.8% | 22 / 28
|
 22
|
1st
|
| Higher roll | 385 | 10.3% | |||||
| 1964 | Hastings Banda | General roll | 50 / 53
|
28
|
 1st
| ||
| Special roll | |||||||
| 1971 | 60 / 60
|
10
|
1st
| ||||
| 1976 | 70 / 70
|
10
|
1st
| ||||
| 1978 | 100% | 87 / 87
|
17
|
1st
| |||
| 1983 | 100% | 101 / 101
|
14
|
1st
| |||
| 1987 | 100% | 112 / 112
|
11
|
1st
| |||
| 1992 | 100% | 141 / 141
|
29
|
1st
| |||
| 1994 | 996,047 | 33.68% | 56 / 177
|
 85
|
2nd
| ||
| 1999 | Gwanda Chakuamba | 1,518,548 | 33.81% | 66 / 193
|
10
|
2nd
| |
| 2004 | John Tembo | 785,671 | 24.85% | 57 / 193
|
9
|
2nd
| |
| 2009 | 562,859 | 12.94% | 26 / 193
|
31
|
2nd
| ||
| 2014 | Lazarus Chakwera | 895,659 | 17.37% | 48 / 193
|
22
|
2nd
| |
| 2019 | 1,108,735 | 22.32% | 55 / 193
|
7
|
2nd
| ||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Wikman, Björn (2012). "The institutionalisation of political parties in Malawi". Lunds University. p. 13. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
- ^ Manzano, Dulce (9 June 2017). Bringing Down the Educational Wall: Political Regimes, Ideology, and the Expansion of Education. Cambridge University Press. p. 89. ISBN 9781108508681. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
- ^ "President Chakwera meets MCP Diaspora Leaders in London". Nyasa Times. August 2021.
- ^ "MCP Diaspora Network Elects New Committee: Chalo Mvula becomes new leader". Nyasa Times. 3 November 2020.
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