Elections in Zambia 2021

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On 12. August 2021 found elections in Zambia instead. The President and the National Assembly of Zambia were elected . The presidential election was won by opposition candidate Hakainde Hichilema over previous incumbent Edgar Lungu . The United Party for National Development (UPND), the Hichilemas party, won an absolute majority in the National Assembly .

prehistory

The last general election took place in 2016 . At that time, two candidates faced each other in the presidential election: incumbent Edgar Lungu from the Patriotic Front (PF) and Hakainde Hichilema from the United Party for National Development (UPND). The 2016 presidential election was just barely won with 50.35% compared to 47.63% by PF candidate Lungu. After the election results of Zambia were announced in 2016, the defeated UPND appealed to the Constitutional Court of Zambia for alleged irregularities and violations of the electoral rules and demanded that the election results be annulled. Ultimately, however, it was unsuccessful. Lungu was sworn in as president on September 13, 2016 and served for almost five years. The rivalry between Lungu and Hichilema continued to smolder during this period and Hichilema continued to refuse to recognize Lungu as a legitimate president. In April 2017, Hichilema was arrested and charged with high treason after his car convoy on August 8/9. April 2017 did not make enough space for the president's convoy and, according to the prosecutors, put the president's life at risk. After mediation by Commonwealth Secretary Patricia Scotland , the charges were dropped and Hichilema was released after 100 days in detention. After a series of arson attacks, a 90-day state of emergency was declared on June 11, 2017. The 48 UPND MPs who boycotted the vote on it and President Lungu's address to the National Assembly in protest have been suspended. These and other actions earned President Lungu a reputation for authoritarianism among domestic opposition and foreign observers. He was accused of increasing repression of freedom of expression and freedom of the press. The US non-governmental organization Freedom House attested Zambia a loss of democracy in its 2017 annual report , and the human rights organization Amnesty International spoke in a press release from June 2021 of increasing repression and suppression of unpopular opinions that had brought Zambia “on the verge of a human rights crisis” .

On June 12, 2020, the Electoral Commission of Zambia set the date for the upcoming election of the President and the National Assembly for August 12, 2021. Voter registration took place from November 9, 2020 to December 20, 2020. In contrast to previous procedures, this time not only the new and first-time voters, but all those who wanted to vote had to be re-registered in order to be able to vote. The relatively short period of 38 days and the lack of an independent audit of the new electoral register caused criticism. When the electoral register was revised in 2016, 1.4 million voters who had meanwhile died were removed from the register, which then contained 7,023,499 voters, corresponding to 83.2 percent of those eligible to vote. Candidates could be nominated from May 10th to May 14th, 2021 and the official election campaign period lasted from May 14th, 2021 to August 11th, 2021.

Candidates and parties

Incumbent Edgar Lungu (2018)
Opposition candidate Hakainde Hichilema

A total of 16 candidates (with Chishala Kateka as the only woman) ran for the presidency, including incumbent Edgar Lungu and main opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema. Of the 16 applicants, however, only Lungu and Hichilema were given serious chances. For Hichilema, who was supported by an alliance of 10 parties, the election was the sixth attempt - he had already stood in the 2006 , 2008 , 2011 , 2015 and 2016 elections.

The 16 candidates and runner-ups
Candidate and runner-up Supporting party
Candidate: Harry Kalaba
Vice: Judith Kabemba		 Democratic Party (DP)
Candidate: Kasonde Mwenda
Vice: Changala Siame		 Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)
Candidate: Richard Silumbe
Vice: Kaela Kamweneshe		 Leadership Movement (LM)
Candidate: Nevers Sekwila Mumba
Vice: Reuben Sambo		 Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD)
Candidate: Stephen Nyirenda
Vice: Lucy Changwe		 National Restoration Party (NAREP)
Candidate: Chishala Kateka
Vice: Samuel Kasanka		 New Heritage Party (NHP)
Candidate: Andyford Mayele Banda
Vice: Gerald Mulao		 People's Alliance for Change (PAC)
Candidate: Sean Enock Tembo
Vice: Henry Muleya		 Patriots for Economic Progress (PEP)
Candidate: Edgar Chagwa Lungu
Vice: Nkandu Luo 		Patriotic Front (PF)
Candidate: Highvie Hamududu
Vice: Kasote Singogo		 Party of National Unity and Progress (PNUP)
Candidate: Dr Fred M'membe
Vice: Dr Cosmas Musumali		 Socialist Party (SP)
Candidate: Enock Tonga
Vice: Bright Chomba		 Third Liberation Movement (TLM)
Candidate: Bishop Trevor Mwamba
Vice: John Harawa		 United National Independence Party (UNIP)
Candidate: Hakainde Hichilema
Vice: Mutale Nalumango 		United Party for National Development (UPND)
Candidate: Charles Chanda
Vice: Simon Mbulu		 United Prosperous and Peaceful Zambia (UPPZ)
Candidate: Lazarus Chisela
Vice: Rosemary Chivumba		 Zambia United for Sustainable Development (ZUSD)

21 political parties put up a total of 657 candidates. There were also 200 non-party candidates. 21.1% of the candidates were women.

Election campaign

The election campaign was dominated by two issues, the economic crisis and, directly related to it, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Zambia .

Economic crisis

The main topic of the election campaign was the economic situation of Zambia. The economy of Zambia is very much shaped by copper mining and the related industry. The country is the second largest copper producer in Africa after the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the eighth largest in the world. The collapse in the global copper price after 2011 after a previous high phase lasting several years led to an economic crisis. Between 2011 and 2018, the national debt of Zambia rose from 22 to 56 percent of the gross domestic product and in 2019 30% of the national budget had to be used for debt servicing. In October 2020, Zambia had to ask its worldwide creditors to defer payments and was on the verge of national bankruptcy. On November 14, 2020, after two unused credit margins, the country was considered insolvent, making it the first African country to suffer this fate in the wake of the coronavirus-related global economic crisis.

Dwindling confidence in Zambia's economic performance also fueled the inflation rate . This was 24 percent in June 2021, a 10-year high. Around 60% of Zambia's population lived below the poverty line defined by the World Bank in 2019 .

COVID-19 pandemic

The economic crisis was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The first cases were registered in Zambia in March 2020. The government under President Edgar Lungu then ordered a lockdown , closed all schools and universities and banned public events with more than 50 people. International flights were only possible from Lusaka Airport . Gradually, the schools were reopened in the following months and the other measures relaxed. The informal sector of the economy , which is estimated to employ around 70% of the workforce, also suffered as a result of the restrictions . More than a third of households suffered a loss of income, with government support being the exception. Nevertheless, in opinion polls, a majority of those questioned expressed understanding for the government's measures, although it was criticized that the burdens were unjustly distributed.

Clashes in the election campaign

The election campaign took place predominantly between the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) and the United Party for National Development (UPND). Of the smaller parties, the Socialist Party (SP) and Democratic Party (DP) were the most important. The election campaign was accompanied by an observer mission from the European Union . In its preliminary statement on August 16, 2021, it characterized the elections as “technically well conducted, but impaired by unequal election campaign conditions, restrictions on freedom of assembly and movement and abuse of office”. In some cases, government agencies arbitrarily applied legal provisions to hinder opposition candidates in their activities. The ruling party would have instrumentalized the state media and a large part of the private media for the president's election campaign. It was criticized that the COVID-19 restrictions were arbitrarily interpreted by the state authorities to the disadvantage of the opposition, which was thus hindered in their election campaign. During the election period there were repeated violent clashes between supporters of the PF and the UPND. On June 15, 2021, the election commission suspended the election campaign in the districts of Lusaka, Mpulungu, Nakonde and Namwala due to ongoing unrest. After several deaths in political clashes, President Lungu had army units stationed in the unrest areas from August 1, 2021, which the opposition viewed as an attempt at intimidation.

Election mode

Distribution of constituencies to the provinces
province Constituencies Change in 2016
Central Province 016   1
Copperbelt 022nd  
Eastern Province 019th   1
Luapula 015th   1
Lusaka 013   1
Muchinga 010  
Northern Province 013  
Northwest Province 012th  
Southern province 018th  
Western province 019th   2
total 156   6

For the election to the National Assembly, Zambia was divided into 156 constituencies, in each of which a candidate was elected according to relative majority voting. The electoral commission of Zambia carried out the redistribution of the constituencies in 2016, with the number of constituencies increasing from 150 to 156. The constituencies were renumbered and six new constituencies were created: 13-Lufubu (Central Province), 53-Kapoche (Eastern Province), 56-Chembe (Luapula), 72-Cherundu (Lusaka), 151-Nkeyema and 156-Sioma (both Western Province ).

In 2019, the delimitation commission began with preparatory work on the new delimitation of the constituencies for the upcoming elections in 2021. However, in the course of the delimitation it became clear that a constitutional amendment was necessary for the creation of new constituencies, as the number of constituencies since 2016 in constitutional article 68 (2) was pinned at 156. A reallocation of the constituencies probably (?) Did not take place.

For the election to the president an absolute majority of the valid vote was required. If this was not achieved, a run-off election between the two best-placed candidates had to be held within 37 days.

Results

Election to the National Assembly

Constituency winners in the election for the National Assembly (constituency Kaumbwe still pending)

By August 22, 2021, 155 of the 156 constituencies had been counted. The election in the Kaumbwe constituency had to be postponed after the UPND candidate passed away on July 21, 2021. Thirteen constituencies went to independent candidates, 59 to PF candidates, 82 to UPND candidates and one to a PNUP candidate.

Elected candidates according to party affiliation
Political party Mandates in % Change to 2016
United Party for National Development (UPND) 082 052.6%   22
Patriotic Front (PF) 059 037.8%   21
Party of National Unity and Progress (PNUP) 001 000.6% (New)
Independent (IND) 013 008.3%   1
still pending 001 000.6% -
total 156 100.0% -

Among those elected were 20 women (12.9%).

Presidential election

Constituency majorities in the presidential election

The presidential election was clearly won by Hakainde Hichilema with 59.02% of the vote. As in the last election in 2016, Hichilema was particularly successful in the western part of the country. In contrast to 2016, this time he was also able to achieve the majority in the Copperbelt province. The turnout was 70.61% (4,959,332 votes from 7,023,499 registered voters). 126,569 votes (2.6%) were invalid.

candidate Political party voices percent
Hakainde Hichilema UPND 2,852,348 59.02%
Edgar Lungu PF 1,870,780 38.71%
Harry Kalaba DP 25,231 0.52%
Andyford Banda PAC 19,937 0.41%
Fred M'membe SP 16,644 0.34%
Highvie Hamududu PNUP 10,480 0.22%
Chishala Kateka NHP 8,169 0.17%
Charles Chanda UPPZ 6,543 0.14%
Lazarus Chisela ZUSD 5,253 0.11%
Nevers Mumba MMD 4,968 0.10%
Enock Tonga 3rd LM 3.112 0.06%
Musonda Mwamba UNIP 3,036 0.06%
Sean Tembo PEP 1,813 0.04%
Stephen Nyirenda NAREP 1,808 0.04%
Casonde Mwenda EFF 1,345 0.03%
Richard Silumbe LM 1,296 0.03%
total 4,832,763 100.00%

Reactions and analyzes

After the election authorities announced results that suggested Hichilema's election victory, President Lungu admitted defeat in a televised address, congratulated the election winner and promised a smooth transfer of power. But he also stated that the election was “not free and fair”. In the southern, northern and western provinces in particular , acts of violence would have turned the election into “a nullity” . Hichilema then described Lungus' statement as an "act of desperation by an elected government".

As in 2016, ethnic dividing lines emerged in the election. Lungu was able to get votes especially in the Bemba -speaking north and in the Chewa (Nyanja) -speaking east, while Hichilema was particularly successful in the Tonga -speaking south and Lozi -speaking west.

The peaceful transfer of political power was widely recognized worldwide. According to one comment, Zambia, along with Malawi, is the only country in the world that has moved more towards democracy during the pandemic.

When Hichilema's inauguration took place on August 24, 2021, five heads of state from southern and eastern Africa were present: Cyril Ramaphosa ( South Africa ), Lazarus Chakwera (Malawi), Mokgweetsi Masisi ( Botswana ), Emmerson Mnangagwa ( Zimbabwe ) and Samia Suluhu Hassan ( Tanzania ). Hichilema had also invited opposition leaders from various African countries.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Zambia election: Hakainde Hichilema beats President Edgar Lungu. BBC News, August 17, 2021, accessed August 18, 2021 .
  2. ^ African Union Election Observation Mission to the 2016 General Elections in the Republic of Zambia. (pdf) African Union, August 2016, accessed August 17, 2021 .
  3. ^ Hakainde Hichilema's treason trial puts Zambia at crossroads. BBC News, May 24, 2017, accessed August 17, 2021 .
  4. ^ Zambian parliament suspends 48 opposition MPs. eNCA, June 13, 2017, accessed August 20, 2021 .
  5. ^ Bill Corcoran: Zambia's president Edgar Lungu 'plotting dictatorship'. The Irish Times, July 16, 2017, accessed August 19, 2021 .
  6. ↑ Nic Cheeseman: Lunga erodes Zambia's democracy. Maio & Guardian, September 6, 2019, accessed August 20, 2021 .
  7. ^ Nic Cheeseman: One of Africa's most stable democracies is quietly drifting into authoritarian rule. Quartz Africa, May 15, 2017, accessed August 20, 2021 .
  8. ^ Zambia: Killings and brutal crackdown against dissent set the tone for August election. Amnesty International, June 28, 2021, accessed August 21, 2021 .
  9. ↑ 2021 Election date set for August 12, 2021. The Zambian Observer, June 12, 2020, accessed on August 17, 2021 .
  10. ^ A b Why Zambia's upcoming poll risks tipping the balance against democracy. The conversation, May 4, 2012, accessed August 21, 2021 .
  11. ↑ a b c EOM Zambia -General Elections 2021 - Preliminary Statement. europa.eu, August 16, 2016, accessed on August 19, 2016 (English).
  12. ↑ Kiss Abraham: 2021 GENERAL ELECTION CALENDAR. Zambia Electoral Commission website, February 26, 2021, accessed August 17, 2021 .
  13. ↑ ECZ Chairperson Justice Esau E. Chulu Closes 2021 General Election Nomination Center. Zambia Electoral Commission website, May 20, 2021, accessed August 17, 2021 .
  14. ↑ 2021 Zambia Presidential Elections Candidates and Running Mates Full Detailed List. zambianpolitics.com, June 20, 2021, accessed August 20, 2021 .
  15. ↑ Kathy Short, Uta Steinwehr: Election in Zambia: It's about the economy. Deutsche Welle, August 12, 2021, accessed on August 15, 2021 .
  16. ↑ a b Sydney Chikalipah: Sovereign debt and growth in Zambia: deterministic mining the tipping point . In: Social Sciences and Humanities Open . tape 4 , no. 1 , 2021, p. 100188 , doi : 10.1016 / j.ssaho.2021.100188 (English).
  17. ↑ Daniel Pelz: Africa under the control of the "debt tsunami". Deutsche Welle, November 12, 2020, accessed on August 17, 2021 .
  18. ↑ Andreas Becker: Why Africa needs a new financial system. Deutsche Welle, October 5, 2020, accessed on August 17, 2021 .
  19. ↑ Ollie Williams: Zambia's default fuels fears of African 'debt tsunami' as Covid impact bites. The Guardian, November 25, 2020, accessed August 20, 2021 .
  20. ↑ Who will be President? Zambia chooses. Deutsche Welle, August 12, 2021, accessed on August 17, 2021 .
  21. ↑ Edward Chibwili: AD431: Zambians approve of government's COVID-19 response despite questions about aid, vaccines. afrobarometer.org, 2021, accessed August 17, 2021 .
  22. ↑ Speech by the Chief Electoral Officer Mr. Kryticous Patrick Nshindano during a media briefing held on Tuesday 15th June, 2021 Held At Elections House. Zambia Electoral Commission, July 15, 2021, accessed August 20, 2016 .
  23. ↑ Zambia president sends in army to source pre-election violence. TRTworld, August 1, 2021, accessed on August 20, 2016 .
  24. ↑ Gazette Notice No. 383 of 2016 . In: Republic of Zambia Government Gazette . No. 6487 , May 27, 2016 (English, online ).
  25. ↑ Sipilisiwe Ncube: ECZ launches delimitation exercise in preparation for 2021. diggers.news, July 5, 2019, accessed on August 21, 2021 .
  26. ↑ Chris Phiri: ECZ Says Delimitation of New Constituencies Tied to Amendment of Constitution. zambiareports.com, September 26, 2019, accessed August 21, 2021 .
  27. ↑ The current number of constituencies cannot be changed without first amending the Constitution-ECZ. lusakatimes.com, January 19, 2020, accessed August 21, 2021 .
  28. ↑ Failed delimitation of constituencies: why and what next for Zambia's constitutionally driven delimitation process. The Mast, June 22, 2021, accessed August 21, 2021 .
  29. ↑ Christopher Miti: UPND Alliance's Kaumbwe parliamentary candidate dies. The Mast online, July 21, 2021, accessed August 22, 2021 .
  30. ↑ a b ELECTED MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT IN THE 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTION. (pdf) August 20, 2021, accessed on August 22, 2021 (English).
  31. ↑ a b Constituency (out of Polling Stations). Zambia Electoral Commission, accessed on August 21, 2021 .
  32. ^ Zambia election: President claims vote was not free and fair. BBC News, August 15, 2021, accessed August 15, 2021 .
  33. ↑ Farai Mutsaka: Zambia celebrates peaceful transfer of power after elections. The Washington Post, August 17, 2021, accessed August 24, 2021 .
  34. ^ Zambia's peaceful power transition elates Ethiopia. Lusaka Times, August 23, 2021, accessed August 24, 2021 .
  35. ↑ Carter Center Commends Zambians for a Successful Election Despite unlevel playing field. The Carter Center, August 23, 2021, accessed August 24, 2021 .
  36. ^ All roads lead to Zambia for Hichilema's inauguration. newsday.co.zw, August 24, 2021, accessed August 24, 2021 .
  37. ↑ President Samia to attend Hichilema's inauguration. The Citizen (Tanzania), August 23, 2021, accessed August 24, 2021 .
  38. ↑ Dickens Olewe: Hakainde Hichilema: Zambia's new president inspires African opposition leaders. August 24, 2021, accessed August 24, 2021 .