ZAMBIA GETS READY FOR ELECTIONS

Zambia is in the final stages as it gets ready for a Presidential election scheduled to take place on 20 September.

News from Zambia says that tensions are high ahead of the polls due to a large number of Presidential candidates standing.

Rupiah Banda has been President of Zambia since 2008, when he took over rule following the death of Levy Mwanawasa. Banda’s ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) party is the dominant party in Zambian politics. The opposition movement – the Patriotic Front (PF) – attempted to exclude Banda from standing in the 2008 elections on nationality conditions. However, he narrowly won this election, beating PF candidate Michael Sata.

Current President, Rupiah Banda, is considered to be the central candidate in the Zambian Presidential elections. A strength of his campaign platform is infrastructural development, however a major criticism is that, despite improvements in the area, he has failed to curb corruption.

Michael Sata is a fierce opponent of Banda’s and is the opposition Patriotic Front’s main candidate. Other candidates include Hakainde Hichilema, Godfrey Miyanda, Ng’andu Magande, Elias Chipimo Junior, Fredrick Mutesa, Edith Nawakwi and Tilyenji Kaunda.