STRATEGIES USED BY CRITICAL CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS TO SURVIVE IN HYBRID DEMOCRATIC MALAWI (1994-2019)

Abstract

Since the reintroduction of multiparty elections in 1994, Malawi has had a vibrant Civil Society albeit faced with strong opposition force to shrink its operation space. For the past two decades, Freedom House and the Economist Intelligent Unit reports categorize Malawi among the list of hybrid regimes. Thus, the study undertook to uncover the strategies that critical governance CSOs are using to survive in hybrid democratic Malawi. The study has established that there is acerbic relationship between the government and critical governance CSOs, evidenced with political elites infiltrating CSOs space to limit their operations through various mechanisms. Consequently, CSOs have developed strategies to counter the mechanism that political elites employ to shrink their space. The study reveals eight strategies which include; Creation of Local Networks, Affiliating with International Networks, Aligning with Political Parties, Use of Media, Keeping Book Records Clean, Evidence based Advocacy, Reporting abuses to National and International Human Rights Institutions, Co-opting and Confrontation. In order to safe guard the CSOs space, the study concludes by recommending for; political will and tolerance by ruling elites to dissent views a democracy; harmonized CSOs strategic plan and; critical governance CSOs should always be apolitical political.