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ELECTIONS AND MENTAL HEALTH

On 8 th October 2020 Zambia’s Chief Electoral Officer Patrick Nshindano collapsed whilst addressing a meeting of political party presidents. This was probably the biggest assignment he had handled since his appointment to lead the Commission. He was probably fatigued due to the many hours of stressful preparations he had to go through prior to the assignment. The firs thought that came to my mind was how we have not paid attention to the stress and anxiety that comes with elections as a country. The elections stress the Republican President as he has to manage so many interests and make so many critical decision amidst pressure from local and international factors. Elections stress the candidates at all levels because participating in elections comes with a huge financial burden. The process itself for many politicians started many months ago as they have to lay the groundwork for primary adoptions and manage the intra-party politics and competition. I have personal friends cont
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SHRINKING CIVIC SPACE AND COVID-19 A COCKTAIL OF CHALLENGES FOR ZAMBIA’S ELECTIONS

ZAMBIA faces unique challenges as the country goes to yet another tightly contested and heavily polarizing presidential, parliamentary and local government election. The elections come on the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic which has not only affected the way the elections will be conducted but also presents an election campaign issue in itself. President Edgar Lungu is seeking to be elected Zambian President for the third time amidst a debt crisis and an economy in near recession after his bid for a third term was upheld by the country’s Constitutional Court. However one Constitutional Court Judge Professor Margaret Munalula offered a dissenting judgment in which she argued that the 19 month period President Edgar Lungu spent in office between January 2015 and September 2016 constituted a full term of office. She adds that President Lungu has therefore twice held office and is ineligible to run for office in the forthcoming presidential election. However the majority decision
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THE UPND’S VALENTINES' DAY CONVENTION

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OPPONENTS and fierce critics of Zambia’s largest and arguably most resilient opposition political party, the United Party for National Development (UPND) partly attribute the party’s failure to form government on its unwillingness to uphold intra-party democracy. They argue that UPND is a party led by a tired and rigid leadership that refuses to embrace new ideas and thinking. This has lingered on as a thorn in the flesh for its Party President Hakainde Hichilema who has stayed at the helm of the party for almost 15 years without renewing his mandate through a democratic process.   After much talk and speculation, the UPND general conference (convention) is here. Not shocking that the party has settled for Valentine’s Day on 14 th February, 2021 considering red is its official colour. UPND President Hakainde Hichilema in picture delivered a well constructed and impactful statement as he opened the conference. He earlier posted the following on his Twitter: "Today our party the
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POLICE EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS IN ZAMBIA RAISE ALARM AS TWO MORE ARE GUNNED DOWN

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THE environment was tense and politically charged as Lusaka came to a standstill on Wednesday 23 rd December, 2020. Gunshots were loud and teargas smoke filled the air as police struggled to control political party supporters on the streets. Two men Nsama Nsama Chipyoka a public prosecutor and Joseph Kaunda an opposition party supporter died of gunshot wounds during the fracas.   Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja confirmed the deaths, but said they occurred in “unknown circumstances” while officers tried to break up the gathering. President Edgar Lungu only responded to the “murders” over 24 hours after they happened by describing the killer as an assailant, a description that purports to exonerate the police from the deaths which would qualify for extra-judicial killings. This development adds a further stain on Zambia’s deteriorating human rights record. President Lungu has directed the Inspector General to use every resource available to fully investigate these murde
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Zambia militarises its police force ahead of 2021 polls

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  WHILST the country is grappling with the novel Corona Virus 2019 disease with cases spiralling out of control and community deaths increasing exponentially, Zambia’s political leadership continues to prioritise actions aimed at securing their continued stay in office. Zambia’s government has taken a hard stand against opposition parties’ mobilisation and continued to increase its capacity to quell public meetings, protects, riots including peaceful assemblies. Recently Zambian youths aggrieved with the poor state of the economy and increased corruption notified the police of their intention to hold peaceful public protests. The police denied them security and deployed hundreds of police officers and riot gear across Lusaka to stop them. However, the youth out manoeuvred the police and held a protest in the bush and streamed it live on their social media platforms. News of Zambia’s vice President testing positive for COVID-19 was overshadowed by a colourful handover of militar
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THE NAREP CONUNDRUM

EVENTS of the past two days clearly indicate that Elias Chipimo Jnr has unfinished business at the National Restoration Party (NAREP). The party he formed in 2010 has known no rest since his hurried retirement on 2nd September, 2019. Leadership wrangles and bickering seem to be the order of day in the once vibrant and promising party. Chipimo resigned from active politics to pursue interests in the private sector after acknowledging that he was too rigid with his principals which denied the party the boost that was required to grow the party. His successor businessman Steve Nyirenda assumed the presidency at an elective convention in November, 2019. The Muvi Television owner went through unopposed for the party presidency. This was after the other candidate Maybin Kabwe withdrew his candidature for the role of Presidency at the NAREP extraordinary convention. Barely nine months after assuming office Steve was kicked out of his position and hounded out of the party at the weekend. If wh
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ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT USES COVID-19 TO CURTAIL MEDIA FREEDOMS

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WHILST countries are implementing lock downs to slow the spread if the novel Corona Virus 19, Zambia has refused to lock down the country insisting that a lock down will hurt the poor. Instead the pandemic has become an opportunity for the government to gag the independent free media. The Zambian government through the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) on 9th April 2020 cancelled the broadcast license of Prime Television, a vibrant private television station which broadcasts from Lusaka in what government called public interest. Prime TV is a popular platform which carried unbiased news and discussions and the only media house that gave wide coverage to the opposition and civil society in Zambia against the increasingly unpopular and biased government controlled Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC). The opposition has asked the diplomatic community to put pressure on President Lungu to re-open the institution further alleging th
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