25 Facts About Bakili Muluzi

Elson Bakili Muluzi was born on 17 March 1943 and is a Malawian politician who was President of Malawi from 1994 to 2004.

Bakili Muluzi was chairman of the United Democratic Front until 2009.

Bakili Muluzi served in Banda's cabinet as minister without portfolio, before retiring in 1980.

Bakili Muluzi was the candidate of the opposition UDF in the May 1994 presidential election, the country's first multiparty election.

Bakili Muluzi came to lead the UDF after leaving the Banda government, and he became an advocate for democracy.

On July 27,2006, Bakili Muluzi was arrested on fraud and corruption charges; he was released on bail later that day.

Bakili Muluzi was once more arrested on 26 February 2009 and initially charged with 86 counts of corruption and abuse of office.

In early March 2007, with many prominent members of the UDF calling for Bakili Muluzi to run for president in 2009, the party said that he would have until March 11 to declare whether he intended to run.

Accordingly, on that date Bakili Muluzi announced that he would seek the party's nomination as its presidential candidate.

The question of whether Bakili Muluzi is eligible to run again has raised some controversy.

Bakili Muluzi received 1,950 votes against 38 for Vice-president Cassim Chilumpha.

On March 20,2009, the Malawi Electoral Commission passed a judgement to bar Bakili Muluzi from running for the presidency for the third time.

Bakili Muluzi announced on December 23,2009, that he was retiring from active politics and that Friday Jumbe was replacing him as UDF leader.

In May 2008, Mutharika said that Bakili Muluzi was trying to remove him from office by depriving the DPP MPs of their seats; to press its demand for the removal of the DPP MPs, the opposition had refused to debate any government bills.

Eight prominent associates of Bakili Muluzi were arrested shortly afterward in connection with the alleged plot to overthrow Mutharika; an arrest warrant was issued for Bakili Muluzi, who was in the United Kingdom at the time on holiday.

When Bakili Muluzi returned on May 25,2008, he was arrested at the airport in Lilongwe.

Bakili Muluzi had planned to address a UDF rally upon his arrival, and police surrounded the stadium where the rally was to be held.

Thousands of infuriated supporters of Bakili Muluzi clashed with the police and blocked roads following his arrest.

Bakili Muluzi was promptly flown to Blantyre, placed under house arrest at his home in Limbe, near Blantyre, and interrogated.

Bakili Muluzi was questioned for about two hours and was shown documents which purportedly linked him to the alleged plot.

Bakili Muluzi's lawyers said on the same day that they would seek bail for Muluzi.

Bakili Muluzi appeared in court again on 12 March 2009 but failed to enter a plea on the 86 graft charges against him.

On 10 July 2014, Bakili Muluzi was appointed Special Commonwealth Envoy to Swaziland, an appointment endorsed by the president of Malawi, Peter Mutharika.

Bakili Muluzi was married to Annie Chidzira Muluzi and then Patricia Shanil Muluzi while in office.

Bakili Muluzi's first born daughter, Esme Atweni Bakili Muluzi, died after being struck by lightning on 12 December 2016.