Peter Mutharika facts for kids

Quick facts for kids His Excellency Peter Mutharika
Mutharika in 2014
5th President of Malawi
In office 31 May 2014 – 28 June 2020
Vice President	Saulos Chilima Everton Chimulirenji
Preceded by	Joyce Banda
Succeeded by	Lazarus Chakwera
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 8 September 2011 – 26 April 2012
President	Bingu wa Mutharika
Preceded by	Etta Banda
Succeeded by	Ephraim Chiume
Minister of Education, Science and Technology
In office 9 August 2010 – 8 September 2011
President	Bingu wa Mutharika
Preceded by	George Chaponda
Succeeded by	George Chaponda
Minister of Justice
In office 15 June 2009 – 9 August 2010
President	Bingu wa Mutharika
Preceded by	Henry Dama Phoya
Succeeded by	George Chaponda
Member of Parliament for Thyolo East
In office 19 May 2009 – March 2014
Preceded by	Bapu Khamisa
Succeeded by	Gerson Timothy Solomoni
Advisor to The President on Foreign and Domestic Policy
In office 2009–2012
Personal details
Born	Arthur Peter Mutharika (1940-07-18) 18 July 1940 (age 85) Chisoka, Thyolo, Nyasaland
Nationality	Malawian
Political party	DPP (2004–present) UDF (before 2004)
Spouses	Christophine (d. 1990) Gertrude Maseko ​ (m. 2014)​
Children	3
Relatives	Bingu wa Mutharika (brother)
Alma mater	University of London (LLB) Yale University (LLM, JSD)
Profession	Lawyer
Awards	International Jurist Award

Arthur Peter Mutharika (born 18 July 1940) is a Malawian politician and lawyer. He served as the 5th President of Malawi from May 2014 to June 2020. Mutharika has a background in international law, focusing on areas like international economic law. He also worked as an advisor to his older brother, Bingu wa Mutharika, who was also a president.

Before becoming president, Peter Mutharika held several important government jobs. He was the Minister of Justice, then Minister for Education, Science and Technology. From 2011 to 2012, he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs. In this role, he worked to improve relations between Malawi and the United Kingdom. He was elected President in the 2014 election as the candidate for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Peter Mutharika's Journey to Politics

Early Life and Education

Peter Mutharika studied law at top universities. He earned his first law degree from the University of London in 1965. Later, he received his Master of Laws (LL.M.) and Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D.) degrees from Yale University in 1966 and 1969. He became a professional lawyer in Tanzania in 1971.

As a professor, Mutharika taught law at several universities around the world. These included the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, Haile Selassie University in Ethiopia, and Rutgers University in the USA. He also taught for 37 years at Washington University in St. Louis.

Entering Malawian Politics

Mutharika helped his brother, Bingu wa Mutharika, during his re-election campaign for president in 2009. Peter Mutharika then entered Malawian politics himself. He became a Minister in the government and continued to advise the President on important issues until his brother's death in 2012.

Political Career and Presidency

Mutharika with Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd

Peter Mutharika became the leader of the DPP. In May 2009, he was elected to the Malawian Parliament. His brother, President Bingu wa Mutharika, then appointed him as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. He later served as Minister of Education, Science and Technology, and then as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Party Leadership and Challenges

In 2010, there were discussions that President Bingu wa Mutharika might choose Peter Mutharika as his successor in the DPP. This caused some tension with the Vice-President at the time, Joyce Banda. She was later removed from the DPP and started her own party. However, she remained the country's Vice-President according to Malawi's laws.

In August 2011, the DPP's National Governing Council (NGC) chose Peter Mutharika as their presidential candidate for the 2014 elections. This decision was made even after protests had occurred in Malawi.

Citizenship Discussion

There was some debate about Peter Mutharika's Malawian citizenship. Malawi's laws do not allow dual citizenship. It was thought he might have become a US citizen while living there. However, the US embassy in Lilongwe confirmed he was not a citizen but a Green Card holder. In February 2014, he gave up his Green Card status.

Becoming President in 2014

Peter Mutharika won the 2014 election and became President on 31 May 2014. He also took on the role of Minister of Defense. He appointed Goodall Gondwe, an experienced economist, as Minister of Finance. He also included Atupele Muluzi, another presidential candidate, in his cabinet.

During his first term, Mutharika supported growing different crops in Malawi, not just tobacco. His time as president faced challenges like public unhappiness due to corruption concerns, food shortages, and power cuts. Malawi's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) investigated a case where he was accused of benefiting from a police contract. The ACB later stated that their investigations showed President Peter Mutharika did not personally benefit from the money deposited in his party's bank account.

The 2019 and 2020 Elections

Malawi held elections on 21 May 2019. Peter Mutharika was the DPP's candidate. His main opponents were Lazarus Chakwera and his own Vice President, Saulos Chilima. The election faced many claims of problems and vote tampering.

On 27 May 2019, the Malawi Electoral Commission announced Mutharika as the winner. However, the opposition parties challenged these results in court. On 3 February 2020, the Constitutional Court ruled that the 2019 election had problems and ordered a new election within 150 days. This was a very rare decision in Africa.

In the new election held on 28 June 2020, Peter Mutharika was defeated by Lazarus Chakwera. Chakwera was then sworn in as the new president.

Recent Activities

In August 2020, the Malawi Anti-Corruption Commission froze the bank accounts of Peter Mutharika and his wife, Gertrude. This was part of an investigation into the tax-free import of cement. In January 2021, the High Court did not allow Mutharika's request to unfreeze his accounts.

Peter Mutharika has stated that he is considering running for president again in the 2025 elections. In August 2024, his party, the DPP, supported his possible candidacy.

Personal Life

Mutharika meeting Henry Bellingham of the British Foreign Office

Peter Mutharika has three children from his first marriage: two daughters named Moyenda and Monique, and a son named Mahopela. His first wife, Christophine, passed away from cancer in 1990.

After being a widower for over twenty years, Peter Mutharika married Gertrude Maseko on 21 June 2014. Gertrude Maseko was a member of the Malawi Parliament. Mutharika is a member of the Presbyterian Church. He is the younger brother of Bingu wa Mutharika, who was Malawi's third president.

Selected Works

Peter Mutharika has written several books and articles on law and international relations:

• Foreign Investment Security in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Emerging Policy and Legal Frameworks (book).
• "Accountability for Political Abuses in Pre-Democratic Malawi: The Primacy of Truth" – Third World Legal Studies, 2003.
• "Approaches to Restorative Justice in Malawi", 13th Commonwealth Law Conference, Melbourne, Australia, April 2003.
• "Legal System of Malawi", Legal Systems of the World (2002).
• "Some Thoughts on Rebuilding African State Capability", Washington University Law Quarterly (1998).
• "Creating an Attractive Investment Climate in the Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Region", Foreign Investment Law Journal (1997).
• "The Role of the United Nations Security Council in African Peace Management: Some Proposals", Michigan Journal of International Law (1996).
• "The 1995 Democratic Constitution of Malawi", Journal of African Law (1996).
• "The Role of International Law in the Twenty-First Century: An African Perspective", Fordham International Law Journal (1995).
• "The Regulation of Statelessness Under International and National Law", Oceana Publications (1986).
• "The Alien Under American Law", Oceana Publications (1988).
• "The International Law of Development", Oceana Publications (1995).
• "The Work of Council International Co-operation Of Humanity", African Magazine (2003).

Awards and Honors

Peter Mutharika has received several awards and honorary titles:

• International Jurist Award, 2008
• The African Leadership Award, 2016 and Medal of Honour, 2016
• Honorary Doctor of Letters (Hon. D.Litt.), University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2016
• State of Georgia Senate Citation of Merit, 2016
• Honorary Professor, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, China, 2018
• Nelson Mandela Leadership Award, National Baptist Convention, 2018
• Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.), Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, United States in 2018
• Senior Of Politics Debate, Indonesian Jakarta College, 2019

International Roles

Mutharika has held several important international positions:

• President, International Third-World Legal Studies Association, 1986-1993
• Global Fund Replenishment Champion, 2018-2019
• Member, Committee of Ten African Heads of State Championing the Advancement of Education, Science and Technology, appointed by the African Union 2018
• Champion, Global Partnership for Education
• African Development Bank, Youth Champion
• Co-convenor, Global Commission on Financing Education
• Champion, Trade Related Aspects of Property Rights (TRIPS)
• UN Women "HeForShe" Champion
• UNFPA Global Youth Champion
• Advisor in Council of the Economic and Trade Cooperation of African Youth (ETCAY)
• Board Chairperson for United Nations Economic and Trade Commission of Africa

See also

In Spanish: Peter Mutharika para niños