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organisations, including the Centre for Policy Dialogue, Business Monitor International and the Economist Intelligence Unit had tipped President Banda to win the elections by between 41 and 46 percent because of the MMD government’s economic achievements.
However, another opinion poll conducted by a group of Zambian lecturers in collaboration with Canada’s Bradford University tipped Mr Sata to win the election by 55 percent.
It also revealed that the PF would win 87 parliamentary seats, MMD 34, UPND 22, and the rest will go to smaller political parties and independent candidates.
According to an AFP report, Mr Sata whose support base is among the poor has sought to make the country’s mining wealth a wedge issue in the campaign, turning President Banda’s impressive economic track record against him by arguing that the incumbent has failed to improve life for ordinary Zambians.
“The trickle-down has been minimal. There may be gross domestic product growth, but that would be the case if Martians came and mined at night and left in the morning. What’s produced in Zambia doesn’t mean what’s produced by Zambians,” Guy Scott, the party’s vice president, told AFP. The outlook for women candidates is gloomy.
According to IPS, although there is one female presidential candidate contesting, her prospects are not strong.
Analysts also say that fewer women overall are likely to be elected into public office this year, although Zambia is a signatory of the Southern Africa Development Community Protocol on Gender and Development, which commits member countries to have 50-50 representation of women in all decision-making positions, including the political arena, by 2015.
Many analysts believe that although personalities could affect the voting pattern, the central issue is the economy.
In this poll Zambians will demonstrate whether they want the accelerated economic growth that started during late president Levy Mwanawasa to continue or not.
Major Chinese investments in Zambia’s rich copper mineral resources are also seen as a major deciding factor.
While president Banda would want to see Zambia doing more business with China, Sata is not amenable to this as he believes that the Chinese are taking over Zambia.
However, China maintained its policy of non-interference. In a ZNBC report, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Zhou Yuxiao said his government would not side with any political party during the tripartite elections, but would continue working with the government of the day.
He said that the Chinese government believed in peaceful and democratic elections and respected the wishes of the Zambian citizens. Chinese investors would continue to be non-partisan in Zambia and will continue to render support to the government of the day.
Although the elections are observed and monitored by thousands of accredited officials, the 2011 Zambian elections will be unique.
An IPS report says today when Zambians go the polls they will have the most effective team of observers monitoring the electoral process – themselves. Citizens, through social media, will be able to report offences and irregularities during and before the general elections.
An initiative called Bantu Watch was launched on Saturday by civil society to ensure that the Southern African nation has a higher level of citizen participation in monitoring the elections.
It is a simple system. People can text anonymous reports to a local number, 3018, using their mobile phones or they can log onto the website (www.bantuwatch.org) to report incidents online.
Formal election observers based in the areas where the reports originate will first verify electoral irregularities that require action from either electoral staff or police.
Civil society and politicians have hailed the initiative and see it as a means of quickly addressing any incidents.
“It is a great electoral malpractice preventive mechanism as people can report, in real time, offences such as intimidation, hate speech, vote buying, polling clerk bias, voting misinformation and so on. Action can be taken right away,” Lee Habasonda, executive director of the Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD), told IPS. The project is run by Zambia’s civil society and social media representatives under SACCORD.
A ZNBC also reported that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) met presidential aspirants Sunday and promised that results will be out within 48 hours of voting.
Among the presidential candidates that attended the meeting were, FDD’s Edith Nawakwi, ZED’s Fred Mtesa, NAREP’s Elias Chipimo Junior, UPND’s Hakainde Hichilema, Heritage Party’s Godfrey Miyanda and Michael Sata of the PF.
President Banda was represented by vice president George Kunda while ADD president Charles Milupi was represented by Amos Nakalonga his National secretary. UNIP president Tilyenji Kaunda did not show up.
Zambia’s Police Inspector General Francis Kabonde assured the electorate that the police was managing the elections and other related activities and assured people they would be safe and that there was no cause to fear.
President Banda ordered police to arrest and prosecute anyone who will engage in illegal acts and violence before, during and after elections. He brushed off allegations by some opposition parties that the elections will be rigged. – The Herald/ZNBC/sardc.net/IPS/Time/AFP.
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