by Munetsi Madakufamba
Despite President Frederick Chiluba’s recent re-election, it appears he has not derived much contentment from it, as evidenced by the crackdown on opposition parties.
During his inauguration, he warned that his government would not tolerate any dissenting views from the opposition and civic organizations. Chiluba threatened that the police would be tougher on all those threatening to disrupt “law and order”.
Chiluba’s ruling Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) claimed victory in elections marred by an opposition boycott, low turnout and allegations of electoral irregularities. Seven opposition parties including former president Kenneth Kaunda’s United National Independence Party (UNIP), the country’s main opposition, boycotted while about 600 candidates including 100 independents contested the 150 parliamentary seats.
Committee for a Clean Campaign (CCC), an umbrella group comprising 19 civic and non-governmental organisations which monitored the polls, says while the voting itself was generally free and fair, the run-up to the elections was contrived to give the ruling party an unfair advantage.
Barely a week after the ballot, leaders of two local observer groups, CCC’s Ngande Mwanajiti and Alfred Zulu of Zambia Independence Monitoring Team, were arrested apparently for criticising the manner in which the elections were handled. 0
The elections, in which more than half of the country’s 4.6 million eligible voters were excluded from the voters’ roll because of flawed registration, were contested by five presidential candidates. These included Frederick Chiluba of the MMD, Dean Mung’omba of Zambia Democratic Congress, Chama Chakomboka of the Movement for Democratic Process, Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika of the Agenda for Zambia and National Party’s Humphrey Mulemba.
Chiluba’s re-election could be the beginning of an even more difficult task. Most importantly, he has to win back the hearts of the majority of people who shunned the elections, in order to neutralise the potentially volatile political situation generated by discontent over the electoral process. Already, four opposition parties have filed court petitions challenging the election results.
Secondly, he has to maintain continuity in pursuing the country’s broad economic objectives set out when his party first came into power in 1991, ousting Kaunda’s UNIP to end the latter’s 27 years in power.
The main challenge is to carry on with the current World Bank-inspired Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility, consolidate its widely acclaimed privatisation exercise that has seen 140 of the 150 state-owned enterprises going into private hands, contain its budget deficit and reduce inflation to restore fading donor confidence.
He also has to face the re-surfacing land question, an almost forgotten issue ignited in pre-election debates. High expectations were generated in a move by Chiluba on the eve of the November 18 elections when he used his presidential decree to order all municipal councils to sell off houses to sitting tenants at giveaway prices. However, the opposition dismissed this as a mere political gimmick designed to buy votes.
Last but not least, it is an open secret that Chiluba faces the challenge of rejuvenating deteriorating relations with other southern African leaders — most of whom are yet to congratulate him for his victory — as a result of his adopting a controversial constitutional reform.
Unhappy with the way the ruling MMD handled the elections, Kaunda has persistently threatened civil disobedience, albeit warnings from Chiluba that “anybody breaking the law” would be arrested.
The former president, who was barred from contesting the polls because of a controversial clause in the Constitutional Amendment Act of 1996, is adamant the government manoeuvred the electoral system and rigged the elections to ensure another term of office. He has threatened to take the party to the Supreme Court and also called upon the international community to impose economic sanctions on Zambia.
The controversial clause bars citizens born of non-Zambian parents and former presidents who ruled for at least two terms from contesting.
Mung’omba, who like the other three presidential aspirants did not pose any serious challenge in almost all the constituencies contested, hinted he would not recognise the new government. He said after his party has “pursued all peaceful options and civilised methods of political conduct,” it would consider other means, without elaborating what the means would be.
Seven opposition parties, including UNIP, prior to the elections unsuccessfully petitioned the Supreme Court against Chiluba’s disputable birth place and parentage.
Opposition parties questioned the use of government facilities by the MMD, among them state vehicles and aeroplanes as well as funds. Reports say the government gave MMD members billions of kwacha to woo voters with last-minute renovations to dilapidated schools and church buildings.
However, Chiluba defended the move saying the use of state facilities by an incumbent government was a common practice anywhere in the world.
Chiluba met President Nelson Mandela, current chairman of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), in South Africa a week before the elections to discuss related contentious issues as well as seek a solution to thwart looming civil strife, but refused a call by the latter to declare a state of emergency to facilitate postponement of the elections, saying he had no powers to do so.(SARDC)
