Zambia - 2021 Election
Zambia is a constitutional republic governed by a democratically elected president and a unicameral national assembly. Since the advent of multiparty democracy in 1991, political parties largely operated without restriction or outside interference, and individuals could independently run for office. In recent years, however, the government has pursued activities that undermined opposition parties, to include targeted arrests of opposition party leaders and members, denial of party registration, and general harassment. The ruling party continued to enjoy the use of government resources for campaign purposes and at times utilized police to harass opposition parties. Police arrested opposition officials, blocked public rallies, and dispersed participants in opposition political gatherings and public protests.
On 14 August 2021, Zambians will have the opportunity to vote for president, members of the National Assembly, mayors, and council chairpersons and counselors. Zambia has long been a regional model of stability and peace, as demonstrated through its history of more or less successful multiparty politics. In the face of recent democratic backsliding and unrest related to rising violence, corruption and inequality, the upcoming elections offered an opportunity to build a stronger and more credible election process. The elections will also be a test of Zambia’s fragile democratic institutions.
In August 2020, Minister of Home Affairs Kampyongo denied requests from organizations seeking to monitor the mobile issuance of national registration cards, a critical first step to register as a voter. The decision curtailed transparency in a key early stage of the electoral process. Additionally provisions of the Public Order Act and penal code, as well as public health regulations aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19, restricted freedoms of assembly and association and limited the ability of NGOs and private citizens to monitor political processes.
On 31 January 2020, the Electoral Commission of Zambia announced that prisoners would be allowed to vote in the 12 August 2021 general elections based on the Constitutional Court’s 2017 ruling that the electoral law preventing convicted prisoners from voting was unconstitutional. According to the commissioner general of the Zambia Correctional Service, as a result more than 20,000 prisoners may be eligible to vote.
In December 2020, Afrobarometer also asked about current voting preferences. In response to the question ‘If general elections were held tomorrow, which party’s candidate would you vote for?’, Only 22.9% of respondents said that they would vote for the Patriotic Front (down from 44.8% in Afrobarometer’s 2017 survey). 25.2% said that they would vote for the opposition, the United Party for National Development. And 45.6% of respondents either refused to answer or said they did not know.
"Survey gives it to Lungu in 2021 vote”, ran the headline on 09 July 2021 in the Times of Zambia, the country’s state-owned newspaper. The story reported on a just-released opinion poll, which shows that President Edgar Lungu will win the upcoming presidential election. The survey, conducted by the Political Science Association of Zambia, in collaboration with two “international think-tanks”, suggests that the president will receive 44.5% of the vote. His main rival, opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema, will get just 30.3%. But the so-called international think-tanks involved in producing the survey — London-based Farraline Public Relations and Washington, DC-based Media Theory — are actually both public relations firms that specialise in reputation management. And the Political Science Association of Zambia is a newly formed organisation with no track record of conducting surveys on this scale.
Amnesty International, in a report released June 28, detailed how rights such as freedom of expression and peaceful assembly have come under increasing attack since 2016. At least five people have been killed by police in the last five years while the government has jailed opposition leaders and activists, and shut down media outlets speaking against government corruption and abuse. The ruling Patriotic Front party, led since 2016 by President Edgar Lungu, is seeking reelection in the upcoming vote. The party rose to power in 2011 under Michael Sata. However, Sata died in office in 2014, opening the way for Lungu to become president in 2015. Lungu was then elected the following year and since then the country’s human rights situation has deteriorated, Amnesty International said.
Zambia deployed the military to curb escalating political violence ahead of elections on August 12, President Edgar Lungu said on 02 August 2021. Pockets of violence have been reported in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, as well as northern, southern and Muchinga provinces where supporters of the governing Patriotic Front (PF) and the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) have clashed using machetes, axes, slashers, catapults and other objects.
Two supporters of the governing party were hacked to death with machetes on Friday by attackers suspected to be members of the main opposition party, police said. Four people were arrested in connection with the killings. “In order to curb the political violence we have witnessed in the past two days, I have allowed the Zambia Army, Zambia Air Force and Zambia National Service to help the Zambia police in dealing with the security situation,” Lungu said.
Even though the Electoral Commission banned rallies because of the coronavirus, clashes between opposing political parties have overwhelmed the police. “Maintaining law and order is a daily chore of the police but sometimes they need help from other security wings,” Lungu said.
Opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema defeated incumbent Edgar Lungu in Zambia’s presidential election, the electoral commission said on 16 August 2021 when releasing the final results from 156 constituencies, barring one. In the final tally, Hichilema secured 2,810,777 votes while Lungu was in second place with 1,814,201 votes, out of 7 million registered voters. The massive win meant Hichilema does not have to contest any second round run-offs after meeting the constitutional 50.1% threshold for an outright winner.
The COVID-19 pandemic, significant youth unemployment, falling copper prices from Zambia’s mainstay export commodity and unsustainable fiscal policies led to growing public discontent with Lungu. The election had been marred by sporadic violence and Hichilema, a former CEO at an accounting firm before entering politics, would face a daunting task turning around the economic fortunes of one of the world’s poorest countries.
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