Population: 15,879,252

Constitution: Republic

Date of Independence: 06 Jul 1964

CPA Branch Formed: 01 Jan 1951

Voting Age: 18

Branch Profile:

Date CPA Branch formed: 1951 (Nyasaland) 1964 (Malawi). Current constitution: 2004 edition. Legislature: The legislature is unicameral. The sole Chamber, the National Assembly, has 193 members (expanded from 177 at the 1999 elections), who are directly elected for five-year terms. Political makeup of government: The current President is Prof. Bingu wa Mutharika who was first elected as President in 2004 under the United Democratic Front until 2005, when he led a minority government under his Ruling Democratic Progressive Party. He was re-elected President in 2009 with an overwhelming majority.