United Democratic Front (Malawi)

United Democratic Front
Abbreviation UDF
President Atupele Muluzi
Secretary-General Kandi Padambo
Spokesperson Ken Ndanga
Founder Bakili Muluzi
Founded October 1993
Youth wing Yellow Youth
Ideology Liberalism
Political position Centre-left
African affiliation Africa Liberal Network
Colors Yellow, Blue
Slogan Delivering Change in Malawi
National Assembly
14 / 193
SADC PF
0 / 5
Pan-African Parliament
0 / 5
Election symbol
Pair of holding hands
Website
www.udfmalawi.org

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.

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

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 22 April 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  2. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 22 April 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  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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