Gunning for Democracy: The Military and Power Transfers in Malawi and Zambia

The proposed research will investigate the political role of the military in securing democratic gains in Zambia and Malawi. First, the research will examine the role that soldiers in both countries played in stopping the attempts of incumbent presidents to change the national constitutions and secure unconstitutional third terms of office during the early 2000s. Preliminary findings show that the interventions by elements of the army helped pave the way for elections that resulted in leadership change through the constitutional terrain. Second, the research will examine the role that soldiers played in the transfer of power from one president to another after the defeat or death of the incumbent president. As was the case in the early 2000s, this later intervention contributed to the peaceful political transitions that both countries underwent during the 2010s and early 2020s.