Zambian Elections Draw Large Turnout; Voters Split Over Economic Policies
September 29, 2006

On Thursday Zambia held its first national elections since President Levy Mwanawasa’s re-election in 2001.  The elections this week drew in a large voter turnout, reflecting the 4.2 million Zambian voters registered for 2006, up from the 2.4 million that were registered for the previous elections.  Incumbent President Mwanawasa is running against Michael Sata, a former member of Mwanawasa’s Movement for a Multiparty Democracy (MMD), in the tightly contested race that both candidates see as a referendum on economic policy.  Sata represents the Patriotic Front, the party he formed following his departure from MMD in 2001.

Sata has gathered support amongst the working class in Zambia, a sector of the population he claims has been left behind by the economic policies of Mwanawasa’s government.  Sata claims that Mwanawasa has sold the country to foreign firms who control a large portion of the capital, largely generated by Zambia’s extensive copper reserves.  Some of the reforms he proposes are tax cuts, granting workers a larger stake in state enterprises, and declaring a 51% cap on foreign ownership. 

President Mwanawasa has received praise from international donors such as the International Monetary Fund for his crackdown on corruption, and opening of the Zambian economy.  Mwanasawa is “warning crowds that a Sata victory would cause an exodus of investors like the one in Uganda after Mr. Amin’s reign of terror began.”  His supporters also claim Sata is making unrealistic promises on the campaign trail, which will not be fulfilled if he elected.

The winner of the election is determined by whomever receives the most votes, a majority is not needed.  Mwanawasa retained his presidential post in 2001 after receiving 29% of the vote, an election that has been scrutinized by his opponents.  Despite the challenge from the opposition, the Supreme Court dismissed the claims of a rigged election.  In an attempt to ensure free and fair elections in the latest presidential race Zambian voting stations used satellite technology and other means of security.  Results from the election were expected in later this weekend, and analysts believe the race is too close to call. 

According to Freedom House, the last election in Zambia that merited the label free and fair was in 1991.  They also list Zambia as a “partially free” country.  Zambia attended the Ministerial Meeting of the Community of Democracies in Santiago in 2005 as an invited participant.  Freedom House rankings indicate political rights in Zambia have improved since the last election in 2001.

Sources:

Washington Post: Huge Crowds Flock to Polls in Zambia
New York Times: Strong Challenge to Zambia's President
Freedom House: Freedom in the World, Zambia Country Report