CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
|
Zambia |
ELECTIONS
In a rare display of democracy, for the first time in the history of Zambia since independence in 1964 from British colonial rule, the presidential race is hotting up, with 12 aspiring presidential candidates vying for the occupancy of State House in Lusaka
A meagre 2.4 million registered voters are in a dilemma as they split their voting loyalties among the 12 political parties taking part in the crucial general elections, scheduled to be held anytime between November and December this year. As political pundits put it: «A hot-air political balloon» is waiting to explode at the end of voting, counting and announcement of the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections. Worse still, the opposition camp is so fragmented that they have diverted their campaign energies and strategies from discussing issues of importance to the electorate, to campaigns of insults and name-calling.
The Church in Zambia is very concerned about the lack of vision by the opposition political parties, who are playing into the hands of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), by their failure to name one presidential candidate, thereby avoiding splitting the opposition vote.
Calls for a Government of National Unity
The cry in Zambia is for the formation of a Government of National Unity (GNU) after the elections, to ensure a balanced sharing of power in the next Parliament, thus avoiding a one-party monopoly.
The Church supports the formation of the GNU. The Regional Superintendent of the Church of God in Central Africa, Bishop John Mambo of Lusaka, envisages anarchy if there is no GNU formed after the elections. He warns: «I am not a prophet of doom, but I can safely say that there will be chaos in Zambia after the elections, if there is no GNU. The nation is disappointed with the leaders of the opposition parties who are carried away by thirst for power and cannot see the sense and value of coming together under a GNU».
The ruling MMD has taken advantage of opposition divisions, to consolidate its position to remain in power, in spite of not being very popular. President Frederick Chiluba made three attempts (all in vain) for a third term in office, but now the MMD has finally chosen Mr Levy Mwanawasa, a former Vice-President, as their presidential candidate. Mr Mwanawasa had resigned the Vice-Presidency in 1994, citing rampant corruption as his reason.
Although Mr Mwanawasa has proved to be a very popular candidate for the MMD, his alleged irregular adoption and election as candidate from outside the party’s supreme body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), has created some confusion in MMD ranks. Mr Michael Sata, the MMD‘s national secretary and a Minister Without Portfolio, was seen to be Chiluba’s most likely successor, but he lost the race to Mwanawasa. Sata has now quit his positions in both party and cabinet; through his connections with the newly-formed Patriotic Front (PF), he now wants to stand for the Presidency. He’s already filed an injunction in the Lusaka High Court, claiming: «The election of Levy Mwanawasa was irregular. It was in contravention of NEC regulations by conducting the party presidential candidate elections without convening the party convention».
«Go it alone»
However, the major challengers to the MDD, the United National Independence Party (UNIP); the United Party for National Development (UPND); the newly-formed Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) — a composition of a large chunk of expelled senior ministers and members from the MDD; and the Heritage Party (HP), are totally opposed to a GNU, saying: «We are strong enough to go it alone».
Indeed, some of these parties and political groupings are quite adamant: The UPND‘s spokesperson, Mr Love Mtesa, states: «We are proceeding with our own programme because we know we are strong enough to go it alone. We will not entertain a political marriage of convenience». General Miyanda is on record as saying: «It is not that we want to work alone, but we have a vision that we have to work on as the Heritage Party». The FDD‘s chairman, Mr Simon Zukas, welcomes the need for unity in the opposition, but with some reservations. He states: «We are not against electoral pacts with other opposition parties. We recognise that such pacts will ensure the opposition vote is not split. In the spirit of democracy, though, we have resisted untimely pressures to make such agreements. Such pacts to be meaningful, have to be weighed, not only for short-term political advantage, but also to determine if there is a common vision between the FDD and other would-be coalition partners».
All in all, Zambia is in an election dilemma!
ENGLISH CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
PeaceLink 2001 - Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgement