Hello Friends!
As far as I am concerned, this is another new and fresh opportunity for a woman to show the rest of Africa and the world that a woman can be as good a president like any other male president. It's not a competition, but a show of ''politics can be played by anyone and it's the chance to change any economy/nation''.
Malawi’s Vice-President Joyce Banda has moved to assert her authority after the death of President Bingu wa Mutharika was officially confirmed.
She was officially sworn in on Saturday in the capital, Blantyre, CNN reports. She becomes one in a growing list of female presidents in Africa.
Backed by senior officials, Banda said the constitution, which says the vice-president is next in line, would be followed in the succession, BBC reports.
Mutharika, 78, suffered a cardiac arrest on Thursday and sources said on Friday that he had died.
But the delay in announcing his death prompted fears of a power struggle.
There has been speculation that the late president’s inner circle was trying to circumvent the constitution to prevent Banda from taking over and instead install his brother, Foreign Minister Peter Mutharika.
Banda fell out with Mutharika in 2010 and became one of his fiercest critics. She was expelled from the ruling Democratic People’s Party and formed the Peoples Party.
On Friday, Information Minister Patricia Kaliati said Banda could not take over as head of state because she had gone into opposition.
The UK, the US and the EU have called on Malawi to respect the constitution.
Since the government officially confirmed Mutharika’s death on Saturday morning, Banda has insisted the constitution would be followed in the matter of succession.
“What is going on is that the constitution says when there is a vacancy in the office of the president, the vice-president shall assume office and finish the term,” she told the BBC.
“When that happens, the vice-president assumes office. We are now, today, going through the process,” she said.
Banda said she had met the heads of the army and police, the attorney general and other officials before giving a news conference on the situation.
Those officials were behind her as she spoke, saying a cabinet meeting would be held soon to discuss funeral arrangements.
She also said preparations were being made to bring Mutharika’s body back from South Africa, where he was taken after his cardiac arrest on Thursday.
“In the meantime, I call upon all Malawians to remain calm and to keep the peace during this time of bereavement.”
She said that 10 days of national mourning would be held.
The only other sitting female African president is Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia.
Johnson-Sirleaf is the first elected female president in Africa.
Carmen Pereira served as Acting President of Guinea Bissau from May 14, 1984 to May 16, 1984, in the capacity of chairman of the National Peoples Assembly.
After her was former Burundian premier, Sylvie Kinigi, who acted as president briefly de facto from November 1993 to January 1994.
There was also Ruth Perry, who was Chairman of the Council of State (a six-member collective presidency) of the National Transitional Government of Liberia from September 3, 1996 to August 2, 1997.
Mutharika governed Malawi for eight years, but was recently accused of mismanaging the economy and becoming increasingly autocratic.
He fell out last year with former colonial ruler Britain, which withdrew its direct aid, accusing the Malawian government of mishandling the economy and of failing to uphold human rights.
Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with an estimated 75 per cent of the population living on less than $1 (60p) a day.
The country has suffered shortages of fuel and foreign currency since the UK and other donors cancelled aid.
Source: The Punch.
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Simply Cheska...
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