ngs Kamuzu
BANDA (since 6 July 1966; sworn in as President for Life 6 July 1971)

Political parties and leaders: only party--Malawi Congress Party
(MCP), Maxwell Pashane, administrative secretary; John Tembo, treasurer
general; top party position of secretary general vacant since 1983

Suffrage: universal at age 21

Elections:
President--President Banda sworn in as President for Life on
6 July 1971;

National Assembly--last held 27-28 May 1987 (next to be held
by May 1992);
results--MCP is the only party;
seats--(133 total, 112 elected) MCP 133

Communists: no Communist party

Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, EC (associated member), FAO,
G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ISO,
ITU, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Robert B. MBAYA; Chancery at
2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-1007;
US--Ambassador George A. TRAIL, III; Embassy in new capital city
development area, address NA (mailing address is P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe);
telephone 730-166

Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a
radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band; similar to the flag of
Afghanistan which is longer and has the national coat of arms superimposed on
the hoist side of the black and red bands

- Economy
Overview: A landlocked country, Malawi ranks among the world's least
developed with a per capita GDP of $180. The economy is predominately
agricultural and operates under a relatively free enterprise
environment, with about 90% of the population living in rural areas.
Agriculture accounts for 40% of GDP and 90% of export revenues. After
two years of weak performance, economic growth improved significantly
in 1988 as a result of good weather and a broadly based economic
adjustment effort by the government. The closure of traditional trade
routes through Mozambique continues to be a constraint on the economy.

GDP: $1.4 billion, per capita $180; growth rate 3.6% (1988)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 31.5% (1988)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues $246 million; expenditures $390 million, including
capital expenditures of $97 million (FY88 est.)

Exports: $292 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--tobacco,
tea, sugar, coffee, peanuts; partners--US, UK, Zambia, South Africa, FRG

Imports: $402 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--food,
petro