Malawi: a Political Economy Analysis
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Malawi: A Political Economy Analysis Arne Tostensen Report commissioned by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Publisher: Norwegian Institute of International Affairs Copyright: © Norwegian Institute of International Affairs 2017 ISSN: 1894-650X The report has been commissioned by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Any views expressed in this publication are those of the author. They should not be interpreted as reflecting the views, official policy or position of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. The text may not be printed in part or in full without the permission of the author. Visiting address: C.J. Hambros plass 2d Address: P.O. Box 8159 Dep. NO-0033 Oslo, Norway Internet: www.nupi.no E-mail: [email protected] Tel: [+ 47] 22 99 40 00 Malawi: A Political Economy Analysis Arne Tostensen Chr. Michelsen Institute Report commissioned by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Contents Map of Malawi ...................................................................................................................... V About the report .................................................................................................................. VI List of acronyms ................................................................................................................... VII Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................... IX Preface .................................................................................................................................. X Executive summary .............................................................................................................. XI 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1 2. Malawi’s governance realm ........................................................................................ 2 A strong and pervasive executive ............................................................................... 3 A subordinate legislature ............................................................................................ 4 A largely independent judiciary .................................................................................. 4 Elections: regionalism and ‘big men’ ......................................................................... 6 Local government and traditional authorities ........................................................... 8 Political parties – mostly in name .............................................................................. 9 3. Public sector reform – yet again? .............................................................................. 14 4. Formal vs. informal institutions ................................................................................. 17 5. A crisis-ridden economy ............................................................................................. 22 Current state of Malawi’s crisis economy .................................................................. 25 Addressing the current economic crisis ..................................................................... 26 An ailing private sector ............................................................................................... 27 6. Vulnerability to climate change .................................................................................. 32 7. Endemic corruption ..................................................................................................... 34 8. Human rights – slow and uneven progress ............................................................... 37 9. Demographic trends .................................................................................................... 43 10. Social conditions stemming largely from poverty .................................................... 45 11. Latent and manifest conflicts ..................................................................................... 47 12. Policy implications and entry points ......................................................................... 51 Bibliography ........................................................................................................................ 55 Map of Malawi 32° Tunduma 33° 34° 35° 36° MALAWI Chitipa zi li ba M uru Karonga Chisenga k u R . 10° . MALAWI 10° N N CHITIPA KARONGA i h es mb Cha Nyika Plateau UNITED REPUBLIC Katumbi RUMPHI OF Bolero Rumphi 11° TANZANIA 11° uru uk R . NORTHERN S Ekwendeni Chikwina Mzuzu Euthini Kafukule ZAMBIA u u t t Nkhata Bay i i vum s s NKHATA Ru a a MZIMBA a K K BAY a y e Chintheche Mzimba w u MALAWI Edingeni L L Chizumulu 12° a 12° k Likoma e L Lundazi M a k a e a l a N w w g wa y n ng i a a a w s u D a L KASUNGU ua B N Nkhotakota K Kasungu H MOZAMBIQUE 13 13 ° O ° T CENTRAL A K NTCHISI O Lichinga T A Ntchisi a d Mponela n e MCHINJI DOWA Dowa g SALIMA Makanjila u Chipata L Mchinji Chilobwe Salima LILONGWE Namitete Lilongwe Chipoka 14 14 ° e Nathenje Monkey ° gw Bay n o DEDZA l i L Dedza MANGOCHI Mandimba Mangochi Lake Lake Malombe Amaramba SOUTHERN Lake Ntcheu Chiuta e e Ntaja r MOZAMBIQUE i h MACHINGA Balaka S 15° NTCHEU Liwonde Nayuchi 15° Machinga National capital è Domasi o ZOMBA Lake b Neno Regional headquarters ú Chilwa v Zomba e MWANZA District headquarters R Namadzi Mwanza Lirangwe Nambazo i Lanzu Town, village z e déd BLANTYRE Chiradzulu Airport Con Blantyre CHIRADZULU Phalombe International boundary MULANJE 16° Regional boundary Chikwawa Thyolo Mulanje 16° District boundary Tete THYOLO Milange Main road CHIKWAWA Thekerani Secondary road N'gabu Railroad Bangula Z S am h i be r The boundaries and names shown z e i NSANJE 0 25 50 75 100 km and the designations used on this ZIMBABWE map do not imply official endorsement Nsanje 0 25 50 75 mi 17° or acceptance by the United Nations. 32° 33° 34° 35° 36° Map No. 3858 Rev. 4 UNITED NATIONS Department of Field Support April 2012 Malawi, Map No. 3858 Rev.4, January 2012, UNITEDCartographic NATIONS Section V About the report In June 2016, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Comprehensive Terms of Reference (ToR) Affairs (MFA) commissioned NUPI to provide were developed to serve as a general template for political economy analyses of eleven countries all eleven country analyses. The country-specific (Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Haiti, Malawi, Mali, ToR and scope of these analyses were further Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Somalia, South determined in meetings between the MFA, the Sudan and Tanzania) deemed important to Nor- Norwegian embassies, NUPI and the individual wegian development cooperation. The intention researchers responsible for the country studies. was to consolidate and enhance expertise on these NUPI has also provided administrative support countries, so as to improve the quality of the and quality assurance of the overall process. MFA’s future country-specific involvement and In some cases, NUPI has commissioned part- strategy development. Such political economy ner institutions to write the political economy analyses focus on how political and economic analyses. power is constituted, exercised and contested. VI List of acronyms ACB Anti-Corruption Bureau ACHPR African Charter on Human and People’s Rights ADMARC Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation AIDS Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ATI Access to Information Act AU African Union CSO Civil society organisation CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women CEO Chief Executive Officer CRC Convention on the Rights of the Child CONGOMA Council for Non-Governmental Organisations in Malawi CRPD Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities DC District Commissioner DCCMS Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services DPP Democratic Progressive Party EAM Evangelical Association of Malawi ECM Episcopal Conference of Malawi EGENCO Electricity Generation Company ERP Economic Recovery Plan ESCOM Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi FBO Faith-based organisation FISP Farm Input Subsidy Programme FUM Farmers Union of Malawi GDP Gross Domestic Product HIPC Heavily Indebted Poor Country HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus ICCPR International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ICESCR International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights IIC Institutional Integrity Committees IMF International Monetary Fund LGBTIQ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Intersexual and Queer MACRA Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority VII List of acronyms | Arne Tostensen MBC Malawi Broadcasting Corporation MCCCI Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry MCP Malawi Congress Party MDHS Malawi Demographic and Health Survey MEC Malawi Electoral Commission MGDS Malawi Growth and Development Strategy MHRC Malawi Human Rights Commission MP Member of Parliament MRA Malawi Revenue Authority MSCTP Malawi Social Cash Transfer Programme MUST Malawi University of Science and Technology MVAC Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee MWK Malawi Kwacha NAO National Audit Office NASFAM National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi OPC Office of the President and Cabinet PAC Public Affairs Committee PEA Political economy analysis PP People’s Party PR Proportional representation PSRC Public Sector Reform Commission SADC Southern African Development Community STD Sexually Transmitted Disease TA Traditional Authority UDF United Democratic Front UNDP United