This is the day Malawi's third president, Bingu wa Mutharika died of cardiac arrest.

As Malawians were left in suspense, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DDP) gurus were busy meeting behind the scene to find a way to rape the country's constitution in order to elect someone from within to take over from the late Mutharika.

The move was to bypass the system on the then vice president Joyce Banda, who was kicked out of the ruling party for her denial in imposing Mutharika's younger brother, Peter to be the party's torch bearer during the 2014 general elections.

However, their move hit a snug when Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), human right activists and international organizations condemned the move and called for the obedience of the constitution.

Section 83 (3) of the country's constitution states that: 'Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of president, the vice president shall assume that office for the remainder of the term.'

After all was not going well for the power-hungry DDP leadership, they succumbed to pressure, swallowed their pride and accepted that power be hand over to Banda, who was by then assured by a good number of top army and police officers of total support if the former manipulate the constitution.

On April 7 2012, Banda was sworn in not only as the country's fourth president, but also Malawi's first female president, marking the beginning of a new era.

The 100 days

Although people celebrated the change of power following the political and economical turmoil that covered the Mutharika administration, Banda was taking over a bunch of swollen hearts, hungry and angry citizens.

People were eager to see changes coming at a click of time; they wanted nothing other than the change in leadership, stabilization of the economy, respect of human rights and mending the relations with international bodies.

With the late president’s remains still in South Africa, where he was pronounced dead, culturally, Banda had a steady job at hand.

"My first and immediate task is to ensure that our late president be given a decent and dignified burial," she said soon after ascending to power.

Malawians remained patient as her wish-and everybody's- was fulfilled.

Soon after the mourning period was over, it was time to go straight into serious business, the cabinet was reshuffled and a 32 member-advisor-team was selected.

A lot of political commentators commended the wider choice since cabinet members were selected from almost all the parties represented in the National Assembly, making it the Government of National Unity.

Later she reshuffled the ranks and files of the civil service that hit hard at the late Mutharika's sympathizers and appointees.

The then Inspector General of police Peter Mukhito, who was labelled as the best ever in Malawi's history was fired and replaced by Loti Dzonzi,

Reserve Bank governor Perks Ligoya was kicked out, Secretary to the Treasury, Josepy Mwanamvekha was also shown the exit door, among others.

Diplomatic ties with the United Kingdom were mended as well as the relations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

The new president engaged a full gear and in a few days that followed, long queues of fuel, sugar and forex shortage disappeared in a flash of a moment.

When opening the 43 session of parliament, inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. ‘I have a dream’ speech, president Banda assured the nation that her government will scrap off all the bad laws that the Mutharika leadership passed.

Within the first weeks of the session, the injunctions law that intended to bar citizens from obtaining injunctions against a public officer, section 46 of the penal code that empowered a minister to ban a publication and section 35 were repealed.

The old flag, with the rising sun in the middle was brought back against the one with the full sun on the middle, which according to the late Mutharika, showed that Malawi was completely developed.

On June 8 2012, Finance Minister ken Lipenga, speaking in parliament, announced that government has abandoned the Zero Deficit Budget which many referred to as a non starter for a country like Malawi.

However, this was the same budget Lipenga himself, defended day-in-and-day-out during the Mutharika leadership, in which he was also Finance Minister.

Lipenga announced a 21 percent pay hike for civil servants as a cushion to the 49 percent devaluation of the kwacha that Mutharika strongly opposed up to the time of his death.

The 100 days has seen the arrest of Anti Corruption Bureau Director General Mr. Alex Nampota, Lilongwe City Assembly Chief Executive Officer Mr. Kelvin Mmangisa and Democratic Progressive Party Regional Governor for the North Rev. Christopher Mzomera Ngwira MP.

According to a press release by the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), the Centre for Development of the People (CEDEP) and the Pan African Civic Educators Network (PACENET), the 100 days of President Joyce Banda rule has therefore to a greater extent been spent on trying to mend the fences broken and correct mistakes made by the DPP regime.

"She has invested more of her energy and time trying to right the wrongs that DPP government created. She has been up and down trying to fix and mend the diplomatic and international relations, panel beating the ailing economy, convincing our development partners to resume aid to Malawi, improve our human rights environment among other things.

"The past 100 days have witnessed much national changes and development. To considerable extent, the changes and developments have been positive and beneficial, especially in the areas of the good governance and economy," reads part of the statement the organizations released.

But many negative developments, said the statement, have been experienced which if not checked now might have their negative impact on the country and leave Malawians frustrated and bewildered yet again.
Declaration of Assets

"Since assuming office, President Mrs. Joyce Banda and her cabinet have not declared their assets as per requirement in the laws of Malawi. The importance of respecting this piece of legislation provides for basis to hold all those that are entrusted with the public purse accountable and transparent.

"As demanded by the Civil Society in the 20 points petition presented to late President Bingu Wa Mutharika, we are therefore calling on President Mrs. Joyce Banda and her cabinet to declare her assets as required by our Constitution in order to bring Constitutional order and to avoid unnecessary speculation,"

The NGOs also faults Banda's leadership on the way it handled the Section 65 issue.

The section calls upon the Speaker of Parliament to declare vacant all seats of Members of Parliament who have dumped the parties that sponsored them to Parliament and joined other that is represented in Parliament.

"President Mrs. Joyce Banda’s led government has shown little in safeguarding and respecting the Constitution of Malawi as she swore on her inauguration. We therefore would like to remind the President that democracy does not come cheap and we cannot afford to hide behind our poverty in order to apply our laws selectively. We need to abide by our Constitutional provisions as Malawi is a Constitutional democracy," reads part of the statement.

While appreciating the drive taken by the president to honour the separation of power
apart from the interference of the Executive in the issue of Section 65, the NGOs faults Banda in some of her cabinet appointment; the most being that of Ralph Kasambara who was appointed as both the Minister of Justice and Attorney General.

"In our considered view that there is conflict of interest in the roles that he is playing both as a Legal Adviser to government and his political appointment as Minister of Justice," they said.