United Democratic Front (Malawi)

The United Democratic Front is a political party in Malawi founded in 1992 by Bakili Muluzi.[1] It claims to be a liberal party in Malawi and is mainly strong in the southern region populated by ethnic Yao. Bakili Muluzi was President of Malawi from 1994 to 2004.

United Democratic Front
AbbreviationUDF
PresidentAtupele Muluzi
Secretary-GeneralKandi Padambo
SpokespersonKen Ndanga
FounderBakili Muluzi
FoundedOctober 1993
Youth wingYellow Youth
IdeologyLiberalism
Political positionCentre
African affiliationAfrica Liberal Network
ColorsYellow, Blue
SloganDelivering Change in Malawi
National Assembly
10 / 193
SADC PF
0 / 5
Pan-African Parliament
0 / 5
Election symbol
Pair of holding hands
Website
www.udfmalawi.org

History

The United Democratic Front is a prominent political party in Malawi that was founded in 1992 by Bakili Muluzi.[2] Until 2009 the party was a member of Liberal International, which it joined at the latter's Reykjavík Congress in 1994.[3]

Rise of DPP faction

It came into power in 1994 under Bakili Muluzi who was in power until 2004, serving two terms. It continued in power under Bingu wa Mutharika, however since Muluzi remained the head of the party. After succeeding Muluzi, Mutharika came into conflict with much of the party, including Muluzi, and he left the party in February 2005 to form the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). In 2009 it was the DPP which won the election. This led to mass defections from the UDF to the ruling DPP. The party however, continued to restructure.

Political performance

In 1994, the UDF candidate Bakili Muluzi came to power in Malawi. In the general election held on 20 May 2004, the UDF's candidate for president, Bingu wa Mutharika, won 35.9% of the vote and was elected. The party also won 49 out of 194 seats.

On 24 April 2008, a UDF convention, which included 2,000 delegates, chose Muluzi as the party's 2009 presidential candidate, despite questions about his eligibility due to term limits. He received 1,950 votes at the convention against 38 for Vice-President Cassim Chilumpha.[4]

UDF presidents

UDF members

Electoral history

Presidential elections
Election Party candidate Votes % Result
1994 Bakili Muluzi 1,404,754 47.15% Elected Y
1999 2,442,685 45.21% Elected Y
2004 Bingu wa Mutharika 1,195,586 35.97% Elected Y
2014 Atupele Muluzi 717,224 13.7% Lost N
2019 235,164 4.67% Lost N

National Assembly elections
Election Party leader Votes % Seats +/– Position
1994 Bakili Muluzi 1,375,878 46.53%
85 / 177
 85 1st
1999 2,124,999 47.32%
93 / 193
 8 1st
2004 801,200 25.34%
49 / 193
 44 1st
2009 562,025 12.92%
17 / 193
 32 3rd
2014 Atupele Muluzi 496,765 9.63%
14 / 193
 3 4th
2019 227,335 4.58%
10 / 193
 4 3rd

See also
  • Political parties in Malawi
  • List of liberal parties

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 22 April 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 22 April 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. UDF page at Liberal International website Archived 26 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. "Tough times ahead for Muluzi", Sapa-AFP (IOL), 25 April 2008.
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