Bingu wa Mutharika

===Second term===
[[File:Lula Mutharika.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva]] (left) with Bingu wa Mutharika (right)]]
Under his tenure, the constitutionally enshrined human rights and separation of powers were enhanced, including legal reform.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.undp.org.mw/index.php?option=com_programme&view=democratic%20governance&task=project&area=project%20area&id=2&58930effcf1f629ed28c9ca6846cfdcd=hzmynhin |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331132513/http://www.undp.org.mw/index.php?option=com_programme&view=democratic%20governance&task=project&area=project%20area&id=2&58930effcf1f629ed28c9ca6846cfdcd=hzmynhin |url-status=dead |archive-date=31 March 2022 |title=UNDP in Malawi &#124; United Nations Development Programme Malawi |publisher=Undp.org.mw |access-date=9 April 2012 }}</ref> His first term was seen as a broad political success.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://africanarguments.org/2012/03/21/malawi%E2%80%99s-democracy-dips-into-recession-by-keith-somerville/ |title=Malawi's democracy dips into recession – By Keith Somerville |publisher=African Arguments |date=21 March 2012 |access-date=9 April 2012}}</ref> He has also been credited with committing to and presiding over economic reform, fiscal restraint and anti-corruption measures.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/04/201246102048384159.html |title=Obituary: Malawi's Bingu wa Mutharika – Africa |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=4 October 2011 |access-date=9 April 2012}}</ref> During his tenure, the election was recognised by monitors as fair.<ref>http://www.electionconference.org/page7/files/MESN%20Report.pdf{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Khaldoun Dudin |url=http://www.eueommalawi.org/default.html |title=European Union &#124; Election Observation Mission to Malawi 2009 |publisher=Eueommalawi.org |access-date=9 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406072923/http://www.eueommalawi.org/default.html |archive-date=6 April 2012  }}</ref> Mutharika's Malawi Growth and Development Strategy for 2006–2011 prioritised the enhancement of: agriculture and food security, education, transport, energy generation, rural development, irrigation and water development, youth development and anti-corruption initiatives.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/MALAWIEXTN/0,,menuPK:355882~pagePK:141132~piPK:141107~theSitePK:355870,00.html |title=Malawi – Country Brief |publisher=World Bank |access-date=9 April 2012}}</ref>

In 2009, Malawi's Ministry of Finance estimated that during the previous four years the share of Malawians living below the poverty line fell from 52 per cent to 40 per cent. This has been attributed to the country's agricultural policies, which have been seen as pioneering in the context of African economic development.<ref name=un.afrec.25.1>{{cite web |last=Harsch |first=Ernest |url=https://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/afrec/vol25no1/investing-african-agriculture.html |title=Africa Renewal Magazine &#124; Investing in Africa's farms – and its future |publisher=United Nations |date=23 November 2010 |access-date=13 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111230184142/http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/afrec/vol25no1/investing-african-agriculture.html |archive-date=30 December 2011  }}</ref>

In addition to championing food security in Malawi, Mutharika promoted a similar approach for Africa. While Chairman of the African Union in 2010,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.au.int/ |title=African Union |publisher=Au.int |access-date=13 January 2012}}</ref> the President laid down a plan for Africa to achieve sustainability and food security.<ref>{{cite news|last=McLure |first=Jason |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aP49H8lYYb.E |title=Malawi's Mutharika Named Next African Union Chairman (Update1) |publisher=Bloomberg |date=31 January 2010 |access-date=13 January 2012}}</ref> He proposed a new partnership with other African nations, which he called the "African Food Basket",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nepad.org/foodsecurity/news/1786/%E2%80%9Cit-possible-africa-become-food-basket-world%E2%80%9D-mutharika |title="It is possible for Africa to become the food basket of the world," says Mutharika |publisher=NEPAD |date=28 October 2010 |access-date=13 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111211165330/http://nepad.org/foodsecurity/news/1786/%E2%80%9Cit-possible-africa-become-food-basket-world%E2%80%9D-mutharika |archive-date=11 December 2011  }}</ref> outlining a strategy incorporating subsidies to small farmers, especially women, improvements in irrigation, and improving agriculture and food security over 5 years through innovative interventions that comprise subsidies, increased budgetary allocations, private sector investment and affordable information and communications technology. Approximately half of the country's subsistence farmers received vouchers which provided discounts on maize seed and fertiliser. To sustain the program, the Malawi Government allocated 11 per cent of its budget for 2010/2011 to agriculture, continuing a rare record of commitment on this scale in Africa. The level of investment in the programme was reduced in 2011.<ref name=iri/>

Mutharika was accused of trying to sideline and isolate his vice-president, [[Joyce Banda]]. He expelled her from the party in 2010 because she refused to accept the nomination of [[Peter Mutharika]] as the next president.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mg.co.za/article/2012-04-06-joyce-banda-poised-to-lead-malawi-after-mutharika-dies-in-office |title=Banda poised to lead Malawi after Mutharika dies in office – News – Mail & Guardian Online |work=Mail & Guardian |date=12 April 1950 |access-date=9 April 2012}}</ref> She remained vice-president of the country because there had been no formal impeachment process.{{Citation needed|date=April 2012}}

As a result of the [[Cochrane-Dyet 2011 cable controversy]] that accused Mutharika of being increasingly 'arrogant' and 'autocratic', he expelled the [[British High Commissioner]].<ref name="Yahoo">{{cite news |url=https://news.yahoo.com/malawi-president-dies-heart-attack-hospital-075230249.html |title=Malawi president dies, leaving nation in suspense |agency=Agence France-Presse |first=Felix |last=Mponda |publisher=Yahoo! News |date=6 April 2012 |access-date=6 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120410080303/http://news.yahoo.com/malawi-president-dies-heart-attack-hospital-075230249.html |archive-date=10 April 2012  }}</ref>

In international relationships, his close relationships with [[Robert Mugabe]] of Zimbabwe and [[Omar al-Bashir]] of Sudan were controversial.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.malawidemocrat.com/politics/peter-says-mutharika-linked-with-bashir-in-qatar-mugabe-too/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120904195744/http://www.malawidemocrat.com/politics/peter-says-mutharika-linked-with-bashir-in-qatar-mugabe-too/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 September 2012 |title=Peter says Mutharika linked with Bashir in Qatar, Mugabe too |publisher=The Malawi Democrat |date=19 December 2011 |access-date=9 April 2012 }}</ref>

In 2011, days of [[2011 Malawi protests|nationwide protests]] occurred, sparked by worsening fuel shortages, rising prices and high unemployment. Malawi's health ministry confirmed 18 deaths in the northern cities of Karonga and Mzuzu as a result of police using live ammunition to quell protests.<ref>{{cite news|last=Mapondera|first=Godfrey|title=Malawi protesters killed during anti-regime riots|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jul/21/malawi-protesters-killed-anti-regime-riots|work=The Guardian |access-date=25 January 2012|location=London|date=21 July 2011}}</ref> Mutharika was unapologetic and said that he would "smoke out" all his enemies. This was accompanied by a crack-down on Malawian journalists, human rights activists, and lawyers, including [[Ralph Kasambara]].<ref name="Reuters">{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-malawi-mutharikabre835093-20120406,0,4811631.story|title=Obituary: Mutharika, Malawi's flawed 'economist-in-chief'|agency=Reuters|first=Mabvuto|last=Banda|work=Chicago Tribune|date=6 April 2012|access-date=6 April 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119114556/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-malawi-mutharikabre835093-20120406,0,4811631.story|archive-date=19 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Other events that marred his presidency were the activities surrounding the [[Blessings Chinsinga#Academic Stand-off|2011 academic freedom stand-off between the President and University]], and the death of student activist [[Robert Chasowa]].