Five years after Malawi's first multi-party elections for three decades, political life is still played out in the shadow of one party - the Malawi Congress Party of the post-independence leader and late president, Dr Hastings Banda.

In the same way that in the years immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union every politician was either a communist or an ex-communist, so the major public figures in Malawi are nearly all serving or former members of the MCP.

And, as in the former communist countries, many Malawians long for the certainties of the old days under the authoritarian rule of the MCP.

MCP 'reformed'

Gwanda Chakuamba: "This is our year"

The man who hopes to lead the Malawi Congress Party back into office in Tuesday's election, five years after it was resoundingly rejected by the voters, is Gwanda Chakuamba.

"This is our year. We are going to win, there is no doubt about it," insists Mr Chakuamba. " I don't even dream about losing."

Mr Chakuamba acknowledges that he witnessed the good and the bad sides of the MCP during thirty years of leadership under Dr Banda.

His acquaintance with the bad came when he served 13 years of a 25-year jail sentence for sedition.

In an about-turn which was dramatic even by African standards, Mr Chakuamba emerged from prison to stand as Dr Banda's vice-presidential running mate in the last elections.

He says the MCP is a completely reformed party.

Mr Chakuamba's chances of propelling his party back into power have been improved significantly by the coalition he's formed with the main party of Malawi's northern region, the Alliance for Democracy, AFORD.

Chihana idolised

The AFORD leader, Chakufwa Chihana was also jailed during the days of Dr Banda.

A former trade unionist, Mr Chihana is idolised in his home region, not least because of his bravery in returning to Malawi in 1992 in the face of threats to his life because of his outspoken support for the introduction of multi-party politics.

He was detained as soon as he got off the plane and many of his supporters believed he would, in the words of Dr Banda, become 'meat for the crocodiles.'

Instead, he played a key role in removing the MCP from office, just as he could now be the deciding factor in returning the party to power.

Worries over crime

The main presidential candidates are both former Banda stalwarts

The alliance of the MCP and AFORD is hoping to capitalise on disillusion with the United Democratic Front of President Bakili Muluzi which has built up the past five years.

Voters constantly refer to two main issues - rising food prices and escalating crime.

Economic liberalisation has led to the spectacular decline of the local currency, the kwacha, which has in turn fuelled inflation.

Crime, which was almost unheard of in the days of Dr Banda -- largely because of a network of informers and the energetically violent pursuit of criminals by the paramilitary Young Pioneers - is now commonplace.

While many voters are grateful that the government has respected its pledge to respect human rights, that may not be enough to keep Bakili Muluzi and his party in power.

But Mr Muluzi, himself a senior former member of the MCP, is campaigning hard.

Election on TV

He's taken to the skies to pursue his campaign, using a helicopter to criss-cross the country, partly because the dramatic deterioration of the roads.

He's also making full use of the fact that this will be Malawi's first election with its own television station.