Zambia - 1991 Election
Frederick Chiluba helped found the Movement for Multiparty Democracy, or MMD, in 1990, leading the party to victory the next year in the first multiparty post-colonial elections in Zambia. The MMD beat Kaunda's United National Independence Party, or UNIP, paving the way for Chiluba to become president.
On 31 October 1991 elections were held for the 125 elective seats in Parliament following premature dissolution of this body on 4 September 1991. General elections had previously been held in October 1988.
On 4 September 1991, the National Assembly was prematurely dissolved and the election date set. Polling (also for President of the Republic) was held to usher in a system of political pluralism after 17 years of one-party (United National Independence Party - UNIP) rule.
In this context, the election campaign was described as lively but generally peaceful. Economic issues figured most prominently therein, with the main opposition Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) calling for a departure from what it labeled as the ruinous socialist policies pursued since the country’s independence, towards a free market economy marked by wide-scale privatization to combat acute problems such as inflation, unemployment and the foreign debt. UNIP countered by claiming to be the only party able to maintain “peace and stability”. Altogether 330 candidates from six parties contested the 150 Assembly seats.
Voting procedures were monitored by foreign observers. Final results gave the MMD 125 seats, with UNIP winning the remaining 25. Mr. Frederick Chiluba (MMD) won the presidential race by a 76% majority vote over Mr. Kenneth Kaunda (UNIP), Head of State since 1964. He was sworn into office on 2 November and, five days later, named the new Cabinet.
Chiluba was swept into office in 1991 on a wave of popular support, in Zambia's first multi-party elections, ending the rule of strongman Kenneth Kaunda. In his inaugural speech to the Zambian nation on November 2, 1991, President Frederick Chiluba stated quite frankly, “the Zambia we inherit is destitute—ravaged by the excesses, ineptitude and straight corruption of a party and a people who have been in power for too long. When our first president stood up to address you 27 years ago, he was addressing a country full of hope and glory. A country fresh with the power of youth, and a full and rich dowry. Now the coffers are empty. The people are poor. The misery endless. The economic ills we suffer have come upon us over several decades. They will not go away in days, weeks or months. But we are determined they will go away. They will go away because we as Zambians have the will to apply ourselves to do whatever needs to be done to rebuild this glorious country.” A decade later, the situation was, if anything, worse.
Chiluba began his tenure by allowing greater political freedoms and liberalizing sectors of the economy, and received accolades at home and abroad for his efforts. However, his administration became increasingly bogged down by allegations of corruption and maladministration. He also was the target of personal criticism for his lavish lifestyle, including his wardrobe of handmade monogrammed shoes and suits.
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