Kamuzu's legacy: the democratization of Malawi : or searching for the rules of the game in African politics

The conduct of African politics seems to be governed by certain rules or patterns, including regional fragmentation, a continuing search for a maximum coalition combining all regional forces, and a prominent role for personality politics. At first sight, Malawi does not fit this pattern, as fragmentation does not seem to be countered by a search for a maximum coalition. Soon after the liberalization of political life in the first half of 1992, it was clear that regionalism was the dominant force. Malawi's three regions have each been dominated by one political party - the north by the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (AFORD), the south by the United Democratic Front (UDF), and the centre by the Malawi Congress Party (MCP). However, this did not lead to a fundamental breakdown in consensus or even the disintegration of the democratization process. An analysis of the nature of the parties shows a persistent search for a nationwide identity. The fact that personality issues dominated the 1994 election campaign and that none of the leading personalities could command a clear moral lead over the others was a major obstacle to securing national appeal. Notes, ref