Malawi is a multi-party democracy. In April 2012 Vice President Joyce Banda became president, as required by the constitution, following a brief period of uncertainty after the death of President Bingu wa Mutharika. Banda was Mutharika's running mate in the 2009 elections, which international observers characterized as generally free and fair. Constitutional power is shared between the president and the 193 National Assembly members. Authorities generally maintained effective control over the security forces. Security forces, however, committed some human rights abuses. The major human rights issues in the country included harsh and life-threatening prison conditions and official corruption. Other human rights problems included the use of excessive force by security forces; arbitrary arrest and detention; lengthy pretrial detention; occasional mob violence; societal violence against women; trafficking in persons; discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons; and child labor. In some cases the government took steps to prosecute officials who committed abuses, but impunity remained a problem.