Elections to test Zambia's standing as a stable democracy

LUSAKA – Zambia's lasting arsenic 1 of Africa's astir unchangeable democracies is being tested this week successful the ballot successful which President Edgar Lungu is seeking re-election.

A choky contention is expected and immoderate analysts accidental the statesmanlike canvass whitethorn provoke a governmental situation successful the confederate African country.

Lungu's detractors accidental helium has systematically restricted antiauthoritarian freedoms by closing immoderate media outlets, detaining absorption politicians and targeting critics. His regularisation has taken Africa’s second-largest copper shaper to “the brink of a quality rights crisis,” Human Rights Watch alleged successful June.

Violence flared up successful caller weeks, peculiarly betwixt supporters of the 2 main parties, prompting Lungu to deploy the military. Lungu says the troops are to support bid but the absorption argues that the soldiers are to intimidate voters.

Lungu came to powerfulness successful 2015 aft winning a disputed drawback predetermination to decorativeness the word of President Michael Sata who died successful office. Lungu was past elected to a afloat five-year word successful 2016, though his main rival again alleged fraud.

Ad

A operation of intimidation and populist policies specified arsenic payments to millions of farmers could unafraid a triumph for Lungu, 64, accidental analysts.

His main rival is 59-year-old Hakainde Hichilema, who touts his concern inheritance arsenic impervious helium tin pull superior and make much-needed jobs. Hichilema is well-known to voters arsenic this is the sixth clip that helium has tally for president and the astir caller contention against Lungu was precise close.

In total, 16 candidates are vying for the presidency. Zambia volition spell for a second-round ballot if nary of the candidates get much than 50% of the votes cast.

More than 800 candidates from Lungu’s Patriotic Front, Hichilema’s United Party for National Development and different smaller parties and independents volition conflict for the elected 156 seats successful the National Assembly. Mayoral and assembly seats are besides up for election.

Zambia's economy, which is successful a tailspin, mightiness “be the defining issue,” said Nic Cheeseman, a prof of authorities astatine the University of Birmingham.

Ad

“The economical situation has gone hand-in-hand with important amounts of symptom and that has caused sizeable discontent,” Cheeseman told The Associated Press. “I deliberation that creates a model of accidental for the absorption to win, not conscionable that the system is atrocious but that radical don’t person assurance successful President Lungu to beryllium capable to crook it around.”

Zambia recorded economical advancement for much than a decennary and achieved middle-income presumption successful 2011, but present the state is beset by precocious inflation, precocious indebtedness and allegations of corruption.

The COVID-19 pandemic wounded the already stuttering system adjacent further. Lockdown measures pushed Zambia into its archetypal recession since 1998 and the system contracted by 1.2%, according to the World Bank.

An easing of the lockdown measures successful the second portion of 2020 and the planetary emergence successful copper prices resulted successful immoderate recovery, though ostentation reached a precocious of 22% successful February this year, according to the World Bank.

Ad

Many Zambians person small spot successful the politicians promising to hole the country's problems. Only 23% said they would ballot for Lungu’s Patriotic Front enactment portion conscionable 25% would see voting for Hichilema’s United Party for National Development, according to a canvass by Afrobarometer successful December past year.

“This means that elector apathy and a debased turnout volition apt prevail connected predetermination day,” said Ringisai Chikohomere, a researcher astatine the South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies.

“The system is the fig 1 electoral issue, and yet successful the past Zambians person voted on determination lines alternatively than connected the spot of existent grievances,” said Chikohomere, who said taste individuality issues whitethorn beryllium arsenic important arsenic the policies promoted by the candidates and parties.

Disputes implicit the result are likely, said Cheeseman.

“It’s going to beryllium a precise contested election. It’s going to beryllium highly controversial. Whichever campaigner loses volition cull the results. It means we volition person a governmental situation present aft the polls,” helium said. “It’s truly a question of however large that situation is and however credible the elections look.”

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.