# 1961 Legislative Council Election (1961)

URL: https://allhistories.com/malawi/timeline/1961-1961-legislative-council-election
Location: Zomba, Malawi
Themes: main-event

The Lancaster House constitution created a Legislative Council of 28 elected members, 20 chosen by a lower roll of mainly African voters and 8 by a higher roll dominated by Europeans and Asians. It was the first time that all seats were filled by election and that large numbers of Africans could vote. In the election of August 1961 the Malawi Congress Party won all 20 lower-roll seats with nearly 99 per cent of the vote, five of them uncontested, and also took two higher-roll seats, for 22 of the 28 seats. The United Federal Party won the remaining five higher-roll seats, and one went to the independent Colin Cameron, a Scottish lawyer sympathetic to Congress. The UFP refused the Executive Council seat it was offered, and all the elected ministerial posts went to Congress and its allies. The result demonstrated Banda's overwhelming support and gave Nyasaland, in effect, an African-led government. Banda became Minister of Natural Resources and Local Government, and his colleagues took other portfolios. The election made the secession of Nyasaland from the federation a question of when, not whether. At this point in the timeline (15 August 1961), the Queen of the United Kingdom (sovereign of Nyasaland) was Elizabeth II (6 February 1952 – 6 July 1964); the Governor of Nyasaland was Glyn Jones (10 April 1961 – 6 July 1964). Government: the Prime Minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was Roy Welensky (2 November 1956 – 31 December 1963).

## Why it matters
The 1961 election gave the MCP control of the legislature and made Banda the de facto leader of the government.

Ruler at the Time: [Elizabeth II](https://allhistories.com/malawi/rulers/elizabeth-ii-nyasaland)

Governor of Nyasaland: Glyn Jones
Prime Minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland: Roy Welensky (Federal Party; United Federal Party (from 1957))

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — 1961 Nyasaland general election](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1961_Nyasaland_general_election)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica — Malawi Congress Party](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Malawi+Congress+Party)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica — Malawi](https://www.britannica.com/place/Malawi)
- [Wikipedia — Federation and The Road To Independence (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federation_of_Rhodesia_and_Nyasaland)