A smooth transition in Zambia
His main challenger, Mr Hakainde Hichilema of the opposition United Party for National Development received 780,168 votes, the electoral commission said. Mr Lungu won by the narrowest of margins in Zambia’s electoral history, with a majority of just 27,000 votes over Hichelema’s. That possibly prompted Mr Hichilema to accuse Mr Lungu of having “stolen” the […]
His main challenger, Mr Hakainde Hichilema of the opposition United Party for National Development received 780,168 votes, the electoral commission said. Mr Lungu won by the narrowest of margins in Zambia’s electoral history, with a majority of just 27,000 votes over Hichelema’s. That possibly prompted Mr Hichilema to accuse Mr Lungu of having “stolen” the election and called him an “illegitimate president.” But a team of observers led by South Africa’s Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane endorsed the election as “peaceful, transparent, credible, free, and fair, thus reflecting the will of the people of Zambia.”
Mr Lungu was nominated by his party colleagues to lead the Patriotic Front after former President Michael Sata died in office in October, following a long illness the nature of which is yet to be disclosed.
Mr Sata was the second Zambian head of state to die in office in six years. His predecessor, Mr Levy Mwanawasa suffered a stroke in June 2008 and did not recover until his death in a London hospital on August 19 of that year.
Section 38 of the 1996 the Constitution of Zambia provides that If the office of the President becomes vacant by reason of his death or resignation or by reason of his ceasing to hold office by virtue of Article 36, 37 or 88, an election to the office of the President shall be held in accordance with Article 34 within ninety days from the date of the office becoming vacant. Whenever the office of the President becomes vacant, the Vice-President or, in the absence of the Vice-President or if the Vice-President is unable, by reason of physical or mental infirmity, to discharge the functions of his office, a member of the Cabinet elected by the Cabinet shall perform the functions of the office of the President until a person elected as President in accordance with Article 34 assumes office.
The deputy, or the designated cabinet member, therefore can hold that office in acting capacity for only 90 days until elections are held. It so happened that Sata’s deputy, Mr Guy Scott is a third generation Zambian of white parentage. Although he was qualified to act as president following his principal’s demise, and did so for the 90 days that the law allows, he was not eligible under the Constitution to stand for election as president.
In the weeks that followed Sata’s death, a power struggle ensued between Mr Scott, who wanted someone else apart from Lungu to be president, and Mr Lungu, who felt that the acting president was actively involved in a plot to oust him from consideration.
Matters came to a head when Mr Sata sacked Mr Lungu from his position as secretary general of the ruling Patriotic Front, a move that was quickly reversed after days of rioting, with people denouncing Mr Sata.
Mr Lungu has the task now of healing wounds that may have been opened after divisive campaigns and an obviously bitterly fought election. That rift goes back to the days when Mr Sata chose Mr Scott over Mr Rupiah Banda in his choice of vice president. On the economic level, Mr Lungu should be aware that the prices of Zambia’s main exports and revenue earners, cobalt and copper, are falling on the international market, paradoxically at a time the government increased royalties on mining, pushing them to 20 per cent, up from 6 per cent. There are reports that majority of the eleven copper mines are operating at a loss. The currency kwacha has a lost much of its value against international currencies. These spell serious economic challenges that the new government must tackle, and it requires the support of all, including other parties, to successfully manage.