At stake in this election:

• 193 seats in the National Assembly

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Bakili MULUZI
• Head of Government: President Bakili MULUZI
• Assembly: Malawi has a unicameral National Assembly with 193 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 5-year term.
• In the National Assembly 193 members are elected by popular vote.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Malawi Congress Party (MCP)
  • Leader: John TEMBO
  • Seats won in this election: 56
  • Seats won in last election: 66
• Party: United Democratic Front (UDF)
  • Leader: Bakili MULUZI
  • Seats won in this election: 49
  • Seats won in last election: 93
• Independent(s): Independents
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 39
  • Seats won in last election: 4
• Party: Republican Party (RP)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 15
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: National Democratic Alliance (NDA)
  • Leader: Brown MPINGANJIRA
  • Seats won in this election: 8
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Alliance for Democracy (AFORD)
  • Leader: Chakufwa CHIHANA
  • Seats won in this election: 6
  • Seats won in last election: 29
• Party: People's Progressive Movement (PPM)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 6
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Movement for Genuine Democracy (MGODE)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 3
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: People's Transformation Party (PETRA)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 1
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Congress for National Unity (CONU)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 1
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Other Parties************
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0

************ Includes MAFUNDE, NSM, NUP, NCD, PFP, and MDP

Last Parliamentary election:

• Parliamentary elections were last held in Malawi on June 15, 1999.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 12,407,618 (2004)
• Registered Voters: 5,705,390 (2004)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 6,238,224 (2004)

·         Is Malawi a signatory to CEDAW: No

·         Has Malawi ratified CEDAW: Yes, accession (12 March 1987)

·         Gender Quota: No, but there are political parties with voluntary gender quotas

·         Female candidates in this election: No

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 27 (following the 2004 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 173 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Medium (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Malawi a signatory to CRPD: Yes (27 September 2007)

·         Has Malawi ratified CRPD: Yes (27 August 2009)

·         Population with a disability: 1,861,142 (est.)