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8. Institutions, Resources,and Elite Strategies: Making Sense of Malawi’s Democratic Trajectory
- Indiana University Press
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8 Institutions, Resources, and Elite Strategies Making Sense of Malawi’s Democratic Trajectory Peter VonDoepp In his 1998 discussion of democratic consolidation, Andreas Schedler argues that the demise of nascent democratic regimes can result from two distinct processes. The first is described as “quick death,” meaning the rapid breakdown of democratic institutions via collapses of civil peace and/or sudden returns to authoritarian rule. The second is a more subtle process of “slow death,” whereby elected officials progressively weaken integral elements of democratic rule. By undermining electoral contestation, eroding checks on executive authority and placing constraints on political participation, elected leaders are able to entrench power at the level of the state. The resulting political context is one where the basic skeleton of democracy remains, but principles of accountability, limited government, and fair contestation fail to operate. This chapter examines how Malawi has negotiated both of these threats to its recently inaugurated democratic system. In the early 1990s, Malawi underwent a transition to multiparty politics after thirty years of authoritarian rule under “President for Life” Kamuzu Banda. Since the election in 1994 of Bakili Muluzi, leader of the United Democratic Front (UDF), Malawi has stood out as somewhat of a success story within the larger African experience. Basic institutions of democracy have continued to operate and there have been no dramatic breakdowns of order suggesting the imminent demise of the regime. Yet threats of both quick death and slow death have haunted democratic Malawi. Understanding the country’s experience with democracy requires consideration of how these threats have manifested themselves and affected the character of the system that emerged in 1994. The chapter begins from the premise that elite behavior represents the central variable shaping Malawi’s democratic experience. That is, both quick death and slow death are understood as ultimately authored by political elites who, operating in the context of other factors, have the power to shape the survival and char175 acter of Malawi’s democracy. With this in mind, the chapter examines two distinct periods of Malawi’s democratic history, asking questions about elite choices and actions with respect to democracy. The first period under study is that running from 1994 to May 2000. During this initial period of democratic rule, a central political issue facing Malawi concerned whether key elites would effectively leave the democratic system intact, or if they would undertake actions to derail or delegitimize it. As I detail below, democratic institutions posed real risks for governing elites who might be displaced or undermined through their operation. Moreover, with the passage of time, it became evident that democratic institutions yielded few benefits to opposition players— and even appeared manifestly biased against their interests. Still, Malawi’s elites, both governing and opposition, avoided strategies or tactics that might have caused the rapid demise of democratic institutions. The key analytical issues here concern how to account for the elite choices that allowed for democratic survival and relative stability during this period. The second time period extends from May 2000 to the present. With the final resolution of Malawi’s second national elections in May of 2000, the political context changed considerably—as did the central issues facing the new democracy. From that point, threats of slow death emerged as government insiders sought to maintain and extend their hold on power beyond the scheduled 2004 elections. As I detail, in pursuit of these objectives, these elites embraced strategies that held the potential to undermine prospects for accountability and good governance. Focused on these issues, the analysis examines the strategies and actions of these key players, and the subsequent impact on Malawi’s democratic trajectory. The examination of elite actions during both of these periods illuminates three important issues, all of which carry relevance for the larger investigation of the fates of new African democracies. First, economic factors have affected Malawi’s experience with democracy. Specifically, owing to relatively limited resource bases, Malawi’s elites have been somewhat constrained in terms of strategic options. Working with and within the democratic system has been the most reasonable strategy in light of their limited capacities. Second, institutional dynamics have also played an important role in Malawian politics. During the initial period of democratic rule, Malawi’s institutions provided incentives for potentially unruly opposition players to continue to play by the rules. Of special importance in this respect is how judicial institutions provided an arena where opposition leaders felt they might effectively pursue and protect their interests . In the...