A referendum on reintroducing multi-party democracy was held in Malawi on 14 June 1993. Over 64% of voters voted to end the Malawi Congress Party's 27-year monopoly on power. Soon afterwards President Hastings Banda, leader since independence, was stripped of both his post of President for life and most of the dictatorial powers he had held since the institution of one-party rule in 1966.
The MCP mounted a considerable effort to maintain its status as the country's only legal party, claiming multiparty politics would lead to tribal and religious conflict. At a rally in Banda's hometown of Blantyre, a boys' choir sung "Ladies and gentlemen, don't listen to multi-party, because that is death, that is war." Several of Banda's advisers were aggrieved by having to call the referendum, believing it came from pressure from Western donors who were no longer willing to prop up Banda's regime in the aftermath of the end of communism. Despite this, some MCP insiders conceded there was a chance the referendum would pass.[1]
General elections were held the following year, in which Banda and the MCP were soundly defeated. Voter turnout for the referendum was 67% of the 4.7 million registered voters.[2]
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