Church, Law and Political Transition in Malawi 1992-1994

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 Court’s 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 Malawi’s 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.