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Hastings Kamuzu Banda (1896? – 25 November 1997) was the leader of Malawi and its predecessor state, Nyasaland, from 1961 to 1994. After receiving much of his education overseas, Banda returned to his home country (then British Nyasaland) to speak against colonialism and help lead the movement towards independence. In 1963, he was formally appointed Nyasaland’s prime minister, and led the country to independence as Malawi a year later. Two years later, he declared Malawi a republic with himself as president. He quickly consolidated power and eventually declared Malawi a one party state under the Malawi Congress Party. In 1970, the MCP declared him the party’s President for Life. In 1971, he became President for Life of Malawi itself.
A leader of the pro-Western bloc in Africa, he received support from the West during the Cold War. He generally supported women’s rights, improved the country’s infrastructure, and maintained a good educational system relative to other African countries. On the debit side, however, he presided over one of the most repressive regimes in Africa. He also faced scorn for maintaining full diplomatic relations with apartheid-era South Africa.
Dr Bingu wa Mutharika (born February 24, 1934) was a Malawian economist, politician, and the late President of Malawi. He first took office on May 24, 2004, after winning a disputed presidential election. With the support of President Bakili Muluzi, Mutharika won the 2004 election as the candidate of the United Democratic Front (UDF); he broke with the UDF (which remained under Muluzi's control) in February 2005, however, due to disagreements over Mutharika's anti-corruption campaign. He then formed a new party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but lacked a parliamentary majority for the rest of his first term. He won a second term in the May 2009 election. His supporters credit him with responsible policies that have encouraged economic growth.
Born Brightson Webster Ryson Thom in Thyolo, about 30km from Malawi's commercial capital, Blantyre, he reverted to the family name of Mutharika and adopted the first name of Bingu during the 1960s when pan-Africanism was sweeping across the continent.
Mutharika was the son of a primary school headmaster. He was educated at the University of Delhi, India, where he gained a master's degree in economics. He later obtained a PhD in development economics from Pacific Western University.
Elson Bakili Muluzi (born March 17, 1943) is a Malawian politician. He was the President of Malawi from 1994 to 2004 and was Chairman of the United Democratic Front (UDF) until 2009.
Muluzi was the candidate of the opposition UDF in the May 1994 presidential election, the country's first multiparty election. He won the election with 47% of the vote, defeating Malawi's leader since independence, Hastings Kamuzu Banda. He was re-elected in June 1999, taking 52.4% of the vote and defeating challenger Gwanda Chakuamba. In 2002 he proposed an amendment to Malawi's constitution that would have allowed him to run for a third term, but this was abandoned due to demonstrations against him. He therefore stepped down after the May 2004 election, in which UDF candidate Bingu wa Mutharika was elected to succeed Muluzi as President.
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