Zambia: 8 Lessons for Tanzania From Zambia Election

by | Sep 6, 2023 | Education

Dar es Salaam — Zambians woke up to a new dawn yesterday when the country’s electoral body introduced opposition chief Hakainde “HH” Hichilema as President-elect in a advancement that analysts say offers Tanzania 8 vital classes on democracy.

Soon after a marketing campaign dominated by the country’s economic woes and marred by sporadic violence, Hichilema garnered 2,810,757 votes towards 1,814,201 for the incumbent Edgar Lungu, in accordance to the hottest effects.

The electoral fee proclaimed Hichilema president-elect in the early several hours of Monday, bringing the curtain down on Lungu’s just about 6-year reign.

Hichilema, 59, pledged: “We will foster a superior democracy… rule of regulation, restoring get, respecting human legal rights, liberties and freedoms.”

Hichilema and Lungu were being the front runners out of a pack of 16 aspirants. In the earlier two elections in 2015 and 2016, Hichilema narrowly lost to Lungu. Mr Lungu was elected as the sixth president of Zambia in January 2015, adhering to a by-election that was done after the loss of life in workplace of his predecessor, Michael Sata in Oct 2014.

In the election, he narrowly defeated Mr Hichilema. He was elected to a entire presidential expression in the August 2016 election, all over again narrowly defeating Hichilema.

Talking to The Citizen, politicians, academics and analysts in Tanzania’s political sphere explained there were being at least 8 essential parts that Tanzania could learn from the Zambian election.

The lessons involve: the independence of the electoral entire body in Zambia, professionalism of the country’s defence and security bodies towards the opposition, the position of youths in the democratization method and unity among opposition functions.

The listing also contains of: peacefulness in exchange of ability irrespective of who comes in and who gets out, perseverance by users of the opposition, maturity in the electioneering procedure and that immediately after dropping power, a ruling get together will get a prospect to study the place it had been going completely wrong.

“Zambia has taught us that though, like in Tanzania, leading officials of the electoral body are appointed by the President, they will have to often strive to direct [a body] that is professionally operate,” mentioned ACT-Wazalendo chief Zitto Kabwe.

A political analyst from the University of Dar es Salaam, Ms Consolatha Sulley, mentioned the need to have for an unbiased electoral body could not be overemphasized. Zambia, Kenya and Malawi, she claimed, have ordinarily changed ruling get-togethers in a signal for maturity of democracy.

“Opposition should really figure out that it is probable to defeat the ruling social gathering if they retain fighting for democracy,” she claimed.

On perseverance of the opposition, Mr Kabwe recalled how Mr Hichilema was arrested on a number of occasions and jailed whilst at some level his political routines were being limited.

“Even so, he remained steadfast and his challenging get the job done has eventually paid off… That is one more lesson we should get home,” he mentioned, noting that opposition customers also labored hard to guard the votes,” he explained.

Customers of the defence and protection forces in Zambia, reported Mr Kabwe, have also revealed that they have respect for the will of Zambians.

The national chairman of the Civic United Entrance (CUF), Prof Ibrahim Lipumba, mentioned what took place in Zambia was testimony to the country’s progress and maturity in as much as democracy is involved.

He pressured that it was important for the opposition parties to unite if they were being to clear away the ruling occasion from electrical power instead of bringing in cadres who experienced failed to clinch the ruling party’s nomination in the primaries.

According to a political analyst from the University of Dodoma Dr Paul Luisulie, Zambia has also demonstrated political maturity which Tanzania could also understand a lesson from.

“This could be observed in the way these neighbouring international locations have conducted them selves all through elections by shifting the ruling get-togethers peacefully with out any type of violence,” he reported.

He nevertheless claimed that considering the fact that this was not the first time that Zambia has been led by a celebration that was in the opposition, the best final decision could be that the opposition will not have the answer for every little thing or each individual trouble that the country faces.

“For the main bash, it is also a lesson as they ought to request on their own what other ruling events did completely wrong for citizens to make your mind up to clearly show them the exit door. They ought to also study how it happened and what they can do to return to power in the coming election,” he reported.

But in accordance to Ms Sulley, opposition parties’ desire for a new structure would not necessarily make them to get the elections.

“What they will need is to alter the solution of demanding for the structure. As an alternative of them demanding for a new constitution they need to sensitize citizens on the importance of a new constitution,” she reported.

A Lusaka-centered political analyst, who did not want to be named, stated youths experienced a special job in Mr Hichilema’s ascendancy to power.

“They registered en masse when the new Voters Registration Exercise started off… They recurring their patriotism by turning up en masse to vote… Most of them had been included in manning the polling stations and the ensuing voter tallying. They ensured that the ‘Peoples Voice’ via the ballot was heard, plainly and loudly,” he stated.

Prior to the election working day, he stated, the youth were being marketing campaign volunteers, the foot soldiers on the two sides of the political divide, specially the United Occasion for Countrywide Improvement (UPND) that was remarkably deprived through politically motivated limitations by the Zambia Police Company.

“The youth have been in the forefront condemning the maladministration of the outgoing Patriotic Entrance (PF) Routine, citing the endemic corruption, deteriorating economic instances (no work opportunities, escalating value of dwelling on the back again of a in close proximity to run-away inflation, corruption, primarily on inflated public tenders by celebration functionaries amid many others),” he reported.

Far better democracy

Meanwhile, president-elect Hichilema yesterday slammed the southern African country’s outgoing “brutal routine” while promising a “far better democracy” in his debut handle to the country, hours right after successful the top task in a landslide.

Talking shortly just after his predecessor Edgar Lungu conceded defeat, the company tycoon and veteran opposition chief reported his camp experienced been victims of a “brutal regime that is exiting”. “I will be a president of all Zambians, of these that voted for me and of those people that did not,” he pledged.

In a nationally televised address, Lungu thanked Zambians for “a fantastic option to be your president. I will without end cherish and appreciate the authority you invested in me.”

Hichilema, 59, pledged: “We will foster a better democracy… rule of regulation, restoring purchase, respecting human legal rights, liberties and freedoms.”

Wiping absent tears, Hichilema reported his victory was the “historic moment thousands and thousands of Zambians have been waiting around for.”

Hundreds of supporters experienced collected on the filth street main up to Hichilema’s luxurious residence in a leafy suburb of Lusaka, and they shouted ‘Bally,.. Bally’ (slang for ‘father’) as he commenced to discuss.