ZAMBIA UNDER MICROSCOPE 2011
BY CHRIS HABEENZU
Zambia in the early 1990s shifted from being a one party state to the multi- partism kind of state. First republican president Dr. Kenneth Kaunda cut short his term of office to accommodate the demands by the Zambians for the country to go for an early election that saw the current ruling Movement for multiparty Democracy assuming office with a land slid victory. As if that was not humiliating enough Dr. Kaunda in 1996 tripartite elections decided to attempt contesting the presidency but was not successful due to what one may term as constitutional dribbling.
After Dr. Kaunda and his UNIP lose a number of issues arose among the changing of the constitution that saw the inclusion of parentage clause in the new constitution. The Clause without any malice attached was aimed at barring the first republican president from re-contesting the presidency in 1996.
Due to these frustrations Dr. Kaunda decided to boycott the elections that saw the Movement for Multiparty Democracy-(MMD) bouncing back into power with Frederick Titus Chiluba at the helm.
A few years down the line there appeared some man claiming to be Dr. Chiluba's biological father the matter that saw a huge amounts of debate engulfing the nation at the expanse of development.
Some of course as it is always the the case journalists from public Media were sent to go investigate facts as to which village Dr. Chiluba come from. And on the other hand some private media again sent their own staff to Democratic Republic of Congo to uproot the truth from that country all in an effort to come up with the truth of the origin of the second republican president.
As if that was not enough another debate erupted and this was to do with the third term.
A number of concerns and protests both secretly and some openly were staged to oppose the move intended by Dr. Chiluba.
Thise time around Dr. Chiluba lost on this and went ahead to hand pick Dr. Levy Mwanawasa who had resigned from active politics and the republican vice presidency position in 1993.
Late Dr. Mwanawasa accepted the offer and in no time won the 2001 election by a simple majority.
UPND leader then Late Anderson Mazoka protested saying he had been robbed his victory and petitioned the outcome of the election the move that did not yield any positive results.
President Mwanawasa again emerged the winner in the 2006 elections now beating Opposition Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata who also petitioned the election results but withdraw his petition along the way.
One year and some months into his second term of office Dr. Mwanawasa passed on while on duty in Egypt during the African Union summit leaving the instruments of power in the hands of Vice President Rupiah Banda.
The unexpected tragedy left the country wondering who will lead the most peaceful nation to the next election.
Some few ministers in the late Mwanawasa's administration rose up to take mantle of presidency but shied away after learning that the then republican Vice president had been convinced to contest the presidency. Among the aspirants included now Local government minister Dr. Brian Chituwo, former Finance Minister Ngandu Mangande who persisted until the MMD National Executive Committee-NEC picked on Mr. Banda.
Others never came out.
In 2008 November President Rupiah Banda assumed office after beating three of his challengers PF's Michael Sata the closest rival and UPND's Hakiande Hichilema who came third and Heritage Party's Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda coming fourth.
Zambia this year again goes to the general elections and President Banda has declared his candidature that has also seen other opposition leaders all trying to dislodge him from office.
With a few months before the election some reports have emerged alleging that President's parents come from Malawi.
This has also attracted heated debates. The initiator of the reports Milton Phiri has had numerous attacks and threats some going as far as vinyau soldiers sent to arrest him.
In an effort to clear the air public Media has been assigned to clear the misinformation well according to MMD. Some Media reports have been aired on ZNBC all aimed at clarifying the said misconception of the President's origins. But this debate will it benefit the nation?