DOCSLIB.ORG

Anti-Corruption Bureau Newsletter 1

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Anti-Corruption Bureau Newsletter 1 The Anti-Corruption Bureau Newsletter 1 The Anti-Corruption Bureau A quarterly newsletter for the Anti-Corruption Bureau VOLUME 002n / ewsISSUE 03 / FIFTH lEDITIONetter / JANUARY - MARCH 2010 ROLLING OUT A CORRUPTION PREVENTION PROGRAM THE NATIONAL ANTI- CORRUPTION STRATEGY TRAFFIC POLICE ANTI- CORRUPTION INITIATIVE KICKS OFF CORRUPTION AND By Sebastian Kanyani, POVERTYMzuzu University Anti-Corruption Group (MUAG) alawians are lazy that is why they are poor.” A belief by one time president of this country. How- ever, recently Barrack Obama, the United States of America President in his speech in Ghana spoke of Man effective and functioning government as a solution to some of the pressing Turn to page 4 2 The Anti-Corruption Bureau Newsletter EDITORIAL PUBLISHER Anti-Corruption Bureau, Malawi 3 Message from the Director P.O. Box 2437 Lilongwe 4 Corruption and Poverty Malawi. 5 The fight against corruption Tel: 01 770 167, Fax: 01 770 108 Email: [email protected] 6 ACB in the newspapers www.anti-corruptionbureau.mw 7 Credit Crunch and Global Financial EDITOR Crisis: Any suspecion of corruption or Bright Chimatiro abuse of office? CONTRIBUTORS 8 Know your ACB’s Assistant Director of Bright Chimatiro Enea Katundu operations Patrick Thole Catherine Kabango 9 ACB iphunzitsa mafumu Mphatso D. Kalongonda Vinay Pathare 10 Prosecutions Ipyana Musopole Mphatso D Kalongonda 12 Activities in pictures Chilu Anti-Corruption Club Dzenza Secondary Students 14 Khulupilirani Mulungu, thanani ndi Tokha Manyungwa Egrita Mayamiko Ndala ziphuphu 15 Kumazga Vinyengo PRODUCTION Blantyre Print and 16 Traffic Police anti-corruption initiative Packaging Ltd. 17 National Anti-Corruption Strategy LAYOUT & DESIGN 18 Rolling out a Corruption prevention Andrew Kamwendo, Dzuka Communications Ltd. program Tel: 01 871 181 19 Lilongwe Water Board Policy 20 A million dollar question 21 ACB, Admarc teams up against fraud and corruption 22 Tidziwe za ziphuphu DISCLAIMER Whilst every reasonable care is taken to ensure authenticity and factual content of articles published in this newsletter, neither the publisher nor editor accept responsibility for inaccuracies in content or opinions which are entirely those of the submitting contributors The Anti-Corruption Bureau Newsletter 3 MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR here has been a lot public away from corruption To the impudent, our teams that has been hap- and soliciting as well as foster- are working extremely hard to pening as there have ing support in the fight against investigate all alleged corrupt been increased ac- corruption. Among others, this practices. The Bureau will Ttivities in the Anti-Corruption they did through electronic me- continue to do this until all Bureau. Let me commend all dia programmes, public rallies unscrupulous individuals are our officers for the job well and print media programmes. brought to book. Thanks to our done. The commemoration of the prosecutions section for in- National Anti-Corruption Day creased adjudication of cases. Our Corruption Prevention led by the Faith Based Organi- The synergy with all sections ter, Anti-Corruption Bureau, P. Section worked very hard to sation was very outstanding. It is auguring very well. It is O. Box 2437, Lilongwe. ensure that implementation of is expected that there will be expected that the momentum the National Anti-Corruption more anti-corruption activities. will be maintained. The successful fight against Strategy is kick started. corruption categorically rests Charity begins at home. The Our plea to the public is that it I urge our Anti-Corruption in the willingness of the public Section started by establishing should continue supporting the Clubs to continue supporting in resisting, rejecting and ex- its first Institutional Integrity anti-corruption fight by taking our activities. Keep on the posing the corrupt by making Committee (ICC) within the part in anti-corruption activi- good work of disseminating reports to the Anti-Corruption Anti-Corruption Bureau itself. ties. Corruption is a menace. It anti-corruption information to Bureau. Together we can get Several other institutions fol- retards development. It kills. the communities. The Bureau rid of corruption in Malawi. lowed. Indeed prevention is Corruption violates our human appreciates your efforts. Fight corruption, develop better than cure, so they say. rights. Few corrupt individu- Malawi. als benefit at the expense of Let me remind all readers that The Public Education Section the masses. Its effects affect this newsletter belongs to you. on the other hand intensified everyone. Therefore, we all Please be free to make com- its anti-corruption campaign have a responsibility to curb ments or suggestions by writ- A. E. NAMPOTA with the aim of educating the the practice. ing the Editor, ACB Newslet- (DIRECTOR) CORRUPTION CORRUPTION IT DENIES YOU THE KILLS!! RIGHT to LIFE!! RESIST, REJECT AND REPORT ALL CORRUPT PRACTICES TO:- 01 824 229 - BLANTYRE, 01 770 166 - LILONGWE, 01 311 774 - MZUZU 4 The Anti-Corruption Bureau Newsletter Corruption and poverty From front page problems such as poverty facing from qualified and unqualified functioning and it brings the state African governments. Indeed, no people. Services that are supposed to the point of undermining the policy can succeed if a country’s to be free to the needy are rationed economy. There are almost two public and private institutions are by the ability to pay, like in the varieties of this kind. corrupt and dysfunctional. The case of fertilizer coupons for the fact is that corruption and poverty poor. Alternatively, the officials First, a branch of the public sec- go together. may simply steal the coupons or tor may be recognized as a bribe fertilizer. generating machine. For example Corruption occurs where public top police officials may organize wealth and power overlap. There Sometimes bureaucratic processes corrupt systems in collaboration is a line of divide between the may be a source of delay as a with organized crime groups. low level opportunistic corrup- means of creating corrupt incen- Some officials may employ ghost tion and large scale systematic tives. Officials may create more employees who obtain jobs but corruption, which implicates the unnecessary delays so as to force never show up for work and may entire bureaucratic hierarchy, or the clients to pay more bribes. simply collect pay cheques. This governmental structure from top to There have been complaints that problem was particularly common bottom. The former occurs within some officials at the Registrar in the education sector especially a framework where basic laws and General’s Office delay the issuing in the past. ‘I AM A regulations are in place, and then of gratuity money for the deceased officials and private individuals families. Some may even delay Corruption can also influence the take the opportunities for personal the issuing of licences to business award of contracts for construc- benefit. There is an area of diverse people. There are many situations tion projects, the allocation of situations. but this is just an insight. natural resource concessions and BRIBE’ the privatization of state owned Firstly, low level officials may be On the other hand, large scale companies. By Dzenza Secondary required to select only qualified organized systematic corruption School student during applicants to access a benefit. The bares some characteristics with The question still remains on how the anti-corruption quiz official’s discretion frequently low pay offs, but it can be more corruption causes poverty. High launch permits them to collect bribes deeply destructive of the state levels of corruption are associated Yes. I am a bribe With my sister fraud As twins Similar things we do Our nick name is corrup- tion To the corrupt minded We are happy with you A door and its frame we are If you love us With your corrupt minds We will interrupt the whole nation Our fruits are bad Nothing good is in us We love no develop- ment The Anti-Corruption Bureau Is there to arrest those That love corruption A punishment of shack- les Awaits the corrupt Even the Holy Book says The wages of sin is death So let us shun corruption Corruption robs government of the much needed resources for socio–economic development which would be used to improve the lives of children in the picture. The Anti-Corruption Bureau Newsletter 5 with lower levels of investment and growth; discourages capi- tal inflows and direct foreign THE ACCOUNTANCY PROFESSION AND investment. Corruption lowers productivity and encourages businesses to operate in the unofficial sector. High corrupt THE FIGHT AGAINST countries tend to spend less on education, to over invest in public infrastructure. CORRUPTION Corruption leads to more unequal distribution of wealth By Mphatso D. Kalongonda (ACCA), ACB Accountant and can negatively affect programmes to help the poor. That is to say that wealth is orruption has pervaded all sectors of our - mean that they very often have access to highly accumulated by a small selfish society. It may be more prevalent in some privileged and confidential information. individuals actively participat- countries than others. In today’s business ing in the corrupt activity at the Cenvironment, its implications at local level reach National and international standards of practice expense of the poor masses. far beyond national already alert members of boundaries, making the accountancy profes- It is against this background it a major global sion, whether or not in that raises the need for reform. concern. public practice, to the Corruption is a symptom of possibility of fraud or dysfunctional state-society The impact of other irregularities and relations. Thus most reforms corruption on our require them to report must be accomplished inside society cannot any such findings to particular countries like be overstated. It internal management. Malawi, each with its own increases risks and The question is what economic, political, and social costs of business, should the accountant do realities. One must also focus damages investor if management fails to on global solutions.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • MALAWI COUNTRY of ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service
    MALAWI COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service 31 OCTOBER 2012 MALAWI 31 OCTOBER 2012 Contents Preface Useful news sources for further information Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................ 1.01 Map ........................................................................................................................ 1.05 2. ECONOMY ................................................................................................................ 2.01 3. HISTORY ................................................................................................................. 3.01 Local government elections ................................................................................ 3.05 Foreign donor aid to Malawi suspended ............................................................ 3.07 Anti-government protests: July 2011 ................................................................. 3.10 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS (JANUARY TO SEPTEMBER 2012) ......................................... 4.01 5. CONSTITUTION .......................................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM ................................................................................................... 6.01 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 7.01 8. SECURITY FORCES ...................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Malawi 2019 Human Rights Report
    MALAWI 2019 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Malawi is a multiparty democracy. Constitutional power is shared between the president and the 193 National Assembly members. On May 21, elections for president, parliament, and local councils were conducted. International observers characterized the elections as competent and professional. The Malawi Police Service, under the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security, has responsibility for law enforcement and maintenance of order. The Malawi Defense Force (MDF) has responsibility for external security. The executive branch sometimes asked the MDF to carry out policing activity. The MDF commander reports directly to the president as commander in chief. Civilian authorities maintained effective control over the security forces. Significant human rights issues included: extrajudicial killings, torture, and arbitrary detention committed by official security forces; harsh and life-threatening prison and detention center conditions; significant acts of corruption; lack of investigation and enforcement in cases of violence against girls and women, including rape and domestic violence, partly due to weak enforcement; trafficking in persons; and criminalization of same-sex sexual conduct. In some cases the government took steps to prosecute officials who committed abuses, but impunity remained a problem. Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom from: a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings There were reports the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings. On February 21, Buleya Lule died while in police custody in Lilongwe, just hours after appearing in court as one of six suspects in the February 13 abduction of Goodson Makanjira, a 14-year-old boy with albinism (see section 6, Other Societal Violence or Discrimination).
    [Show full text]
  • Politics of Judicial Independence in Malawi
    Politics of Judicial Independence in Malawi Freedom House Report prepared by Rachel Ellett, PhD Contents List of Acronyms 3 Acknowledgments 4 Executive Summary 5 Summary Assessment Table 8 Part I: Introduction 12 A Report Structure 12 B Methodology 12 C Background to the Study 13 D Politics and the Malawian Judiciary 1993-2013 16 Part II: Assessing Judicial Independence in Malawi 26 A Scope of Judicial Power 26 B Differentiation and Separation of Powers 29 C Internal Institutional Safeguards 36 D Transparency 48 E External Institutional Support 50 Part III: Analysis of Judicial Interference 55 A Manipulation of Personnel 56 B Institutional Assaults 56 C Personal Attacks on Judges 59 D Budget Manipulation Resources/Remuneration 62 E Attempted Co-option of Judges 63 Conclusion 64 Annex I: Summary of Existing Policy Reports on the Courts and Rule of law in Malawi 65 Endnotes 68 2 List of Acronyms AFORD Alliance for Democracy CILIC Civil Liberties Committee DPP Democratic Progressive Party HRCC Human Rights Consultative Committee MBC Malawi Broadcasting Corporation MCP Malawi Congress Party MEC Malawi Electoral Commission MLS Malawi Law Society PP People’s Party NDA National Democratic Alliance UDF United Democratic Front 3 Acknowledgments I would like to thank the many individuals who gave their time and consent to sit down for extensive one-on-one interviews in Johannesburg and Blantyre. These frank and detailed conversations generated significant insight and detailed and specific information, without which this report would be substantially diminished. Additionally I’d like to recognize the logistical and editorial support of the Freedom House Johannesburg and Washington DC offices and in particular the collegiality and support of Cathal Gilbert and Juliet Mureriwa.
    [Show full text]
  • BTI 2020 Country Report — Malawi
    BTI 2020 Country Report Malawi This report is part of the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Transformation Index (BTI) 2020. It covers the period from February 1, 2017 to January 31, 2019. The BTI assesses the transformation toward democracy and a market economy as well as the quality of governance in 137 countries. More on the BTI at https://www.bti-project.org. Please cite as follows: Bertelsmann Stiftung, BTI 2020 Country Report — Malawi. Gütersloh: Bertelsmann Stiftung, 2020. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Contact Bertelsmann Stiftung Carl-Bertelsmann-Strasse 256 33111 Gütersloh Germany Sabine Donner Phone +49 5241 81 81501 [email protected] Hauke Hartmann Phone +49 5241 81 81389 [email protected] Robert Schwarz Phone +49 5241 81 81402 [email protected] Sabine Steinkamp Phone +49 5241 81 81507 [email protected] BTI 2020 | Malawi 3 Key Indicators Population M 18.1 HDI 0.485 GDP p.c., PPP $ 1309 Pop. growth1 % p.a. 2.6 HDI rank of 189 172 Gini Index 44.7 Life expectancy years 63.3 UN Education Index 0.459 Poverty3 % 89.4 Urban population % 16.9 Gender inequality2 0.615 Aid per capita $ 85.8 Sources (as of December 2019): The World Bank, World Development Indicators 2019 | UNDP, Human Development Report 2019. Footnotes: (1) Average annual growth rate. (2) Gender Inequality Index (GII). (3) Percentage of population living on less than $3.20 a day at 2011 international prices. Executive Summary The review period to 2019 saw the continuation of President Peter Mutharika’s first term of office, which commenced in May 2014.
    [Show full text]
  • Do Women Face a Different Standard? the Interplay of Gender and Corruption in the 2014 Presidential Elections in Malawi
    Women’s Studies International Forum 88 (2021) 102501 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Women's Studies International Forum journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/wsif Do women face a different standard? The interplay of gender and corruption in the 2014 presidential elections in Malawi Boniface Dulani a,b, Lise Rakner c, Lindsay Benstead d,*, Vibeke Wang e a Department of Political and Administrative Studies, University of Malawi, P.O. Box 280, Zomba, Malawi b Institute of Public Opinion and Research, P.O. Box 624, Zomba, Malawi c University of Bergen, Chr. Michelsen Institute, Christiesgt 15, 5011 Bergen, Norway d Portland State University, 506 SW Mill Street, Portland, OR 97201, United States of America e Chr. Michelsen Institute, Jekteviksbakken 31, N-5006 Bergen, Norway ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Incumbency advantage and corruption are persistent features of Malawi politics, yet the incumbent Joyce Banda Africa lost the 2014 elections. Drawing on national public opinion surveys and focus groups, we explore why in­ Elections cumbency advantage did not accrue to Banda. We argue that faced with a major corruption scandal, “Cashgate,” Malawi Banda paid a heavier price than male incumbents facing corruption scandals before and after her. Her electoral Corruption fate is consistent with studies demonstrating that women holding political offices are scrutinized more heavily Gender than men, and when they transgress female gender stereotypes of incorruptibility, they are judged using a higher standard. Introduction the polls since the reintroduction of multiparty politics in 1994. But, in the May 2014 elections, incumbent President Joyce Banda of the Peo­ The comparative literature suggests that individual holding the ex­ ple’s Party (PP) lost the presidency after only two years in office.
    [Show full text]
  • BTI 2016 | Malawi Country Report
    BTI 2016 | Malawi Country Report Status Index 1-10 5.55 # 65 of 129 Political Transformation 1-10 6.50 # 51 of 129 Economic Transformation 1-10 4.61 # 90 of 129 Management Index 1-10 5.63 # 43 of 129 scale score rank trend This report is part of the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Transformation Index (BTI) 2016. It covers the period from 1 February 2013 to 31 January 2015. The BTI assesses the transformation toward democracy and a market economy as well as the quality of political management in 129 countries. More on the BTI at http://www.bti-project.org. Please cite as follows: Bertelsmann Stiftung, BTI 2016 — Malawi Country Report. Gütersloh: Bertelsmann Stiftung, 2016. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. BTI 2016 | Malawi 2 Key Indicators Population M 16.7 HDI 0.414 GDP p.c., PPP $ 821.6 Pop. growth1 % p.a. 3.1 HDI rank of 187 174 Gini Index 46.1 Life expectancy years 55.2 UN Education Index 0.440 Poverty3 % 87.6 Urban population % 16.1 Gender inequality2 0.591 Aid per capita $ 69.5 Sources (as of October 2015): The World Bank, World Development Indicators 2015 | UNDP, Human Development Report 2014. Footnotes: (1) Average annual growth rate. (2) Gender Inequality Index (GII). (3) Percentage of population living on less than $3.10 a day at 2011 international prices. Executive Summary Malawi has emerged from the past three years with a fragile economy. Challenges still persist with respect to the desire to pursue a neo-liberal market-led economy in a social environment that calls for a more visible role of the state to address numerous socio-economic problems.
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding and Preventing Crime in Malawi: an Opportunity Perspective
    Understanding and Preventing Crime in Malawi: An Opportunity Perspective Aiden Sidebottom Department of Security and Crime Science University College London This Thesis is submitted in support of a Ph.D. in Security and Crime Science March 2013 1 Declaration of Authorship I, Aiden Sidebottom, confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis. Signed: A. Sidebottom Date: 18/03/2013 2 Understanding and Preventing Crime in Malawi: An Opportunity Perspective Abstract Numerous studies demonstrate that crime is highly concentrated. The risk of criminal victimization is unequally distributed across available targets – be they people, products or places. Determining the extent to which crime concentrates and the correlates of victimization is a popular research area with implications for theory and crime prevention. Presently, such research is largely confined to Western industrialised settings attributed to a lack of suitable data in many developing countries. This thesis is concerned with the concentration and correlates of crime in Malawi. It uses a predominately environmental criminology framework to explore whether crime opportunity theories, amongst others, can make sense of the victimization patterns observed in the hitherto unexplored context of Malawi. The thesis is victim-oriented, saying little about the motivation of offenders and focussing instead on the attributes and activities of crime targets. This is achieved through secondary analysis of data from the Malawi Integrated Household Survey 2004/05, a cross-sectional, nationally representative survey containing questions comparable to crime victim surveys. The thesis is comprised of five case studies on livestock theft, residential burglary and physical assault.
    [Show full text]
  • The Political Economy of Agricultural Commercialisation in Malawi
    THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF AGRICULTURAL COMMERCIALISATION IN MALAWI Blessings Chinsinga Centre for Social Research (CSR) Chancellor College, University of Malawi WP 17 Working Paper August 2018 CONTENTS Acronyms ........................................................................................................................................... 4 Abstract .............................................................................................................................................. 7 1. Setting the scene ........................................................................................................................... 8 2. Political landscape and agricultural commercialisation .......................................................... 10 2.1 Contemporary political history ......................................................................................... 10 2.2 Malawi’s political fragility in perspective ........................................................................... 10 2.3 Local governments and the agricultural sector ................................................................ 11 2.4 Configuration and re-configuration of elites ..................................................................... 13 2.5 Dynamics of rents, political patronage and elite configuration.......................................... 14 2.6 Corruption, and NGOs as alternative channels of service delivery ................................... 17 2.7 Continuities and discontinuities in the patterns of patronage ..........................................
    [Show full text]
  • Country Background Note: Malawi
    Country Background Note Malawi Version 2.0 October 2020 Preface Purpose This note provides a summary of and links to country of origin information (COI) for use by Home Office decision makers handling particular types of protection and human rights claims. It is not intended to be an exhaustive survey of a particular subject or theme. It is split into 2 main sections: (1) general background to the country concerned, including demography and geography; and (2) issues which may be relevant to protection claims. Unlike country policy and information notes, it does not contain general assessments of risk, availability of protection or reasonableness of internal relocation. Country of origin information The country information in this note has been carefully selected in accordance with the general principles of COI research as set out in the Common EU [European Union] Guidelines for Processing Country of Origin Information (COI), dated April 2008, and the Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation’s (ACCORD), Researching Country Origin Information – Training Manual, 2013. Namely, taking into account the COI’s relevance, reliability, accuracy, balance, currency, transparency and traceability. The structure and content of the country information section follows a terms of reference which sets out the general and specific topics relevant to this note. All information included in the note was published or made publicly available on or before the ‘cut-off’ date in the country information section. Any event taking place or report/article published after this date is not included. All information is publicly accessible or can be made publicly available and is from generally reliable sources.
    [Show full text]
  • Country Background Note: Malawi
    Country Background Note Malawi Version 2.0 October 2020 Preface Purpose This note provides a summary of and links to country of origin information (COI) for use by Home Office decision makers handling particular types of protection and human rights claims. It is not intended to be an exhaustive survey of a particular subject or theme. It is split into 2 main sections: (1) general background to the country concerned, including demography and geography; and (2) issues which may be relevant to protection claims. Unlike country policy and information notes, it does not contain general assessments of risk, availability of protection or reasonableness of internal relocation. Country of origin information The country information in this note has been carefully selected in accordance with the general principles of COI research as set out in the Common EU [European Union] Guidelines for Processing Country of Origin Information (COI), dated April 2008, and the Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation’s (ACCORD), Researching Country Origin Information – Training Manual, 2013. Namely, taking into account the COI’s relevance, reliability, accuracy, balance, currency, transparency and traceability. The structure and content of the country information section follows a terms of reference which sets out the general and specific topics relevant to this note. All information included in the note was published or made publicly available on or before the ‘cut-off’ date in the country information section. Any event taking place or report/article published after this date is not included. All information is publicly accessible or can be made publicly available and is from generally reliable sources.
    [Show full text]
  • Ill-Gotten Money and the Economy: Experiences from Malawi and Namibia
    Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized A WORLDBANKSTUDY and theEconomy Ill-gotten Money EXPERIENCES FROM MALAWI ANDNAMIBIA EXPERIENCES FROMMALAWI Stuart Yikona, BrigitteSlot,Michael Geller, Bjarne Hansen, Fatima elKadiri Bjarne Hansen, Fatima WORLD BANK STUDY Ill-go en Money and the Economy Experiences from Malawi and Namibia Stuart Yikona Brigi e Slot Michael Geller Bjarne Hansen Fatima el Kadiri Copyright © 2011 The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000 Internet: www.worldbank.org 1 2 3 4 14 13 12 11 World Bank Studies are published to communicate the results of the Bank’s work to the development community with the least possible delay. The manuscript of this paper therefore has not been prepared in accordance with the procedures appropriate to formally-edited texts. This volume is a product of the staff of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank. The fi ndings, interpre- tations, and conclusions expressed in this volume do not necessarily refl ect the views of the Executive Directors of The World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judge- ment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Rights and Permissions The material in this publication is copyrighted. Copying and/or transmi ing portions or all of this work without permission may be a violation of applicable law.
    [Show full text]
  • Malawi 2020 Human Rights Report
    MALAWI 2020 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Malawi is a multiparty democracy. Constitutional power is shared between the president and the 193 National Assembly members. In May 2019 elections were conducted for president, parliament, and local councils. In February the Constitutional Court ruled in favor of an opposition challenge, annulling the 2019 presidential election (leaving intact the parliamentary and local results). On June 23, a new presidential election was conducted, and opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera won 58 percent of the vote, returning the opposition to power for the first time in 26 years. The international community and donors congratulated Malawi on the strength of its democratic institutions and peaceful transition of power. The Malawi Police Service, under the Ministry of Homeland Security, has responsibility for law enforcement and maintenance of order. The Malawi Defense Force has responsibility for external security. The executive branch sometimes instructed the Malawi Defense Force to carry out policing or other domestic activities, such as disaster relief. The Malawi Defense Force commander reports directly to the president as commander in chief. Civilian authorities maintained effective control over the security forces. Members of the Malawi Police Service committed some abuses. Significant human rights issues included: harsh and life-threatening prison and detention center conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention; significant acts of corruption; lack of investigation and accountability for violence against women; and criminalization of same-sex sexual conduct. In some cases the government took steps to prosecute officials who committed abuses, but impunity remained a problem. Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom from: a.
    [Show full text]