Malawi in crisis, 2011-12

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Periodical article

Title:	Malawi in crisis, 2011-12
Author:	Cammack, Diana
Year:	2012
Periodical:	Review of African Political Economy (ISSN 0305-6244)
Volume:	39
Issue:	132
Pages:	375-388
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Malawi
Subjects:	political change protest political violence
External link:	https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03056244.2012.688651
Abstract:	In mid July 2011 civic activists in Malawi organized nationwide demonstrations to pressure President Bingu wa Mutharika's government to address deepening economic and governance problems. Government, using district commissioners, the courts, and the national police tried to stop them, but they went ahead. The United Nations spearheaded negotiations between a faction of civil society's leadership and government representatives, negotiations that focused on the 20 demands sent to the president on 20 July. Tensions continued until President Mutharika suffered a fatal heart attack on 5 April 2012 and Joyce Banda ascended to office after two days of intrigue. This briefing outlines the underlying causes of the mid-July demonstrations and general discontent, and of government's response to public anger and to the strengthening political opposition. It explores the trends and logic rooted in Malawi's history and policy environment that are driving events. All of these must be seen within the context of national elections in mid 2014, for which political jockeying within and between the parties has already begun. Bibliogr., notes, ref. [ASC Leiden abstract]