Malawi is a Republic and gained independence from Britain on July 6 1964 and became a multiparty democracy in 1993. The Government of the Republic of Malawi is made up of three arms: The Executive, The Legislative and The Judiciary.
- The Executive: The President heads the Executive arm of Government. The President is the Head of State, Head of Government and the Commander-in-Chief of the Malawi Defence Force.
- The Legislature: The Legislative arm of Government is the Parliament of Malawi. Parliament is presided by the Speaker of the House and in his abscence the Deputy Speaker both of who are elected by Members of Parliament. Parliament consists of 193 members when fully constituted.
- The Judiciary: The Judiciary is the third arm of Government vested with judicial authority and is independent. the Lord Chief Justice heads the Judiciary and is deputized by the Deputy Chief Justice.