The presidency is currently being filled by President Michael Sata who won the election against Rupiah Banda who was elected in a presidential by-election on 30 October 2008 following the death of Levy Mwanawasa in 2008.

He won the election with 47 % of the vote, defeating Malawi's leader since independence, Hastings Kamuzu Banda.

Following the sudden death of Levy Mwanawasa on the 19th of August 2008 due to a stroke, early presidential elections were held in which the candidate for Movement for Multi-Party Democracy, Rupiah Banda, won with 40. 09 % of the national vote, narrowly defeating Michael Sata of the Patriotic Front who received 38. 13 % of the national vote, by a margin of just 1. 96 %.

In Nyasaland, the African nationalist Malawi Congress Party won a huge majority and Banda set about lobbying the British Government for the breakup of the federation and the independence of Nyasaland as Malawi.

At the last general elections, held on 19 May 2009, its candidate for president, John Tembo ( a longtime confidant of Banda ), won 30. 7 % of the vote, and the party won 26 out of 193 seats.

At the last general elections, 20 May 2004, its candidate for president Aleke Banda won 2. 5 % and the party was part of the Mgwirizano Coalition, that won 27 out of 194 seats.

Rupiah Banda won the elections with 41 % against Mr. Sata who got 38 %.

* Banda languages, spoken by the Banda people

Before the arrival of Europeans, Banda had an oligarchic form of government led by orang kaya (' rich men ') and the Bandanese had an active and independent role in trade throughout the archipelago.

Banda was the world's only source of nutmeg and mace, spices used as flavourings, medicines, preserving agents, that were at the time highly valued in European markets ; sold by Arab traders to the Venetians for exorbitant prices.

The first written accounts of Banda are in Suma Oriental, a book written by the Portuguese apothecary Tomé Pires who was based in Malacca from 1512 to 1515 but visited Banda several times.

He reported the Bandanese as being part of an Indonesia-wide trading network and the only native Malukan long-range traders taking cargo to Malacca, although shipments from Banda were also being made by Javanese traders.

A number of Banda ’ s orang kaya were persuaded ( or deceived ) by the Dutch to sign a treaty granting the Dutch a monopoly on spice purchases.

* Capture of Banda Neira by the British Royal Navy 1810

However, the British weathered some of his vociferous talk and Dr. Banda gradually settled for a long slog by opening a medical surgery in Limbe where, to thank John Kadzamira ( one of the main organizers of the Harare NAC Branch ), Dr. Banda dutifully took in Cecilia Kadzamira ( a newly trained nurse from Salisbury Hospital ) as his first nursing staff member!

But instead of paying up, local police officers panicked and tried to get rid of Miss Phombeya ( now visibly parading her anger in front of the verandah restaurant ) in the process hurting her toe ; whereupon a crowd soon gathered outside Ryall's Hotel and quickly the mood shifted from the ' hurting toe ' to protesting the imprisonment of Banda and other local leaders by the federation government.

People were ordered from their homes and told to lock all windows and doors, by police, at least an hour prior to President Banda passing by ... we were expected to wave.

Among the laws enforced by Banda, it was illegal for women to wear see-through clothes, pants of any kind or skirts which showed any part of the knee.

Banda and his government were criticized for human rights violations by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

Malawi's former President Bakili Muluzi continued the pro-Western foreign policy established by former President Hastings Banda.

Led by dictator Hastings Banda, Malawi was the only African country to maintain close relations with White-ruled South Africa until the 1994 election of Nelson Mandela.

Banda Aceh after being hit by a tsunami, caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

Rupiah Banda lost re-election in the 2011 Presidential and Parliamentary elections to Michael Sata of the Patriotic Front bringing an end to a total of 20 years rule by 3 presidents from the MMD.

< i > The Isle of Amboina </ i > In 1604, a second English East India Company voyage commanded by Sir Henry Middleton reached the islands of Ternate, Tidore, Ambon and Banda ; in Banda, they encountered severe VOC hostility, which saw the beginning of Anglo-Dutch competition for access to spices.

After 20 years of being in power, the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy and it's candidate Rupiah Banda, lost power to defeating Michael Sata of the Patriotic Front who received 44 % of the national vote, by a margin of about 8 %.

Two poles developed: the right margin, that included the main barrio and the town's public institutions ( municipal chamber, customshouse and church ), and the left margin, that included nucleus of Banda d ' Além, the Misericórdia ( social centre ) and Chapel of Christ, later known as the actual Chapel of Nosso Senhor dos Milagres ().

* Luso-Brazilian invasion ( 1816-1820 ): Was an armed conflict between the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves and the partisans of José Artigas over the Banda Oriental ( Eastern Bank ), present-day Uruguay.

* Cisplatine War ( 1825 – 1828 ): Armed conflict over an area known as Banda Oriental or " Eastern Shore " between the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata and Empire of Brazil in the aftermath of the United Provinces ' emancipation from Spain.

Newly-appointed VOC governor-general Jan Pieterszoon Coen set about enforcing Dutch monopoly over the Banda ’ s spice trade.

The battle was over within hours, with the Dutch surrendering Fort Nassau-after some subterfuge-and within days the remainder of the Banda Islands.

They finally rendezvous with Dr. Banda at the Port of Liverpool ( on his way from Ghana ) to sort out the mess in his private life over the former Mrs. French.

The fighting for control over these small islands became very intense in the 17th and 18th centuries with the Dutch even giving the island of Manhattan to the British in exchange for, among other things, the tiny island of Run which gave the Dutch full control over the Banda archipelago's nutmeg production.

Altogether, the Portuguese never had the resources or manpower to control the local trade in spices, which were frequently diverted to operations in Morocco and failed in attempts to establish their authority over the crucial Banda Islands, the nearby centre of most nutmeg and mace production.

The criminal organization responsible for this shooting was the Banda della Magliana ( Magliana Gang ) which had taken over Rome's underworld in the late 1970s, and has been related to various political events of the anni di piombo ( years of lead ).

The park is between the Macleay River and Hastings River valleys and includes Kemps Pinnacle and Mount Banda Banda, both over 1100 metres above sea level.

John III's policy of reinforcing Portugal's bases in India ( such as Goa ) secured Portugal's monopoly over the spice trade of cloves from the Moluccas and nutmeg from the Banda Islands, as a result of which John III has been called the " Grocer King ".

As a result, many radio stations across the US especially in Texas have converted over to Norteño / Banda music.

The party Banda led since taking over from Orton Chirwa in 1960, the Malawi Congress Party, remains a major force in Malawian politics.

Shamsher Bahadur's son, Ali Bahadur, ruled over Baji Rao's lands in Bundelkhand, and founded the state of Banda, UP.

This originated in the 1940s when the media distributed Banda el Recodo repertoire as exclusively from Sinaloa when it was actually regional music from all over Mexico.

Altogether, the Portuguese never had the resources or manpower to control the local trade in spices, and failed in attempts to establish their authority over the crucial Banda Islands, the nearby centre of most nutmeg and mace production.

Coen also set about establishing a monopoly over the trade in nutmeg and mace, which could be obtained only from the Banda Islands.

Indeed, the Portuguese never managed to control the local trade in spices, and failed in attempts to establish their authority over the Banda Islands, the nearby centre of nutmeg production.

Weaker flow of saltier and denser South Pacific water passes over the Lifamatola Passage into the Banda Sea, where these water masses are mixed due to tidal effects, Ekman pumping, and heat and fresh water flux at the ocean surface.

Welensky was informed that Banda would be released so he could join in discussions with the British Government over the future of the federation.

* Ponder, H. W. ( 1944 ) In Javanese waters ; some sidelights on a few of the countless lovely, little known islands scattered over the Banda sea & some glimpses of their strange & stormy history London, Seeley, Service & Co. ltd.

The real objective of this mission was to seek Bolivar's support in the looming war with the Empire of Brazil, over the Banda Oriental.

Conflicting claims over the Banda Oriental ( current Uruguay ) pushed both countries into conflict.