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KAUNDA ENTERS ZAMBIAN ELECTION CAMPAIGN FOR FIRST TIME.
Updated: 21 December 2001 by By Hugh McCullum and Kondwani Chirambo in LUSAKA Speaking publicly for the first time during Zambia's current election campaign, the country's first president, Kenneth Kaunda, yesterday called for a coalition government, advised voters to support three of the 11 presidential candidates and tore a strip off the ruling Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) and its leader, outgoing President Frederick Chiluba. Kaunda, 77,who lost the presidency in 1991 to MMD, and who was barred from running in 1996 by constitutional amendments instituted by Chiluba's government, broke his silence with a highly partisan radio speech just six days before Zambians go to the polls 27 December to elect a president, 150 members of the National Assembly and local government officials. "I give you, Zambians, three names from which to choose your president," he said. They are Anderson Mazoka of the United Party for National Development (UPND), Nevers Mumba of the National Citizens Coalition and Tilyenji Kaunda, the former president's son and successor as head of the United National Independence Party (UNIP). However, he advised the three to form a coalition for the good of the country and "to sort out the current mess. Vote for these three and they must come together if they are to make the grade." KK, who until this radio speech has kept above the fray, also advised his three favourites to include to women candidates, Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika of the Agenda for Zambia and Gwendoline Konie of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the proposed coalition. The unusual step of naming three candidates whom he favoured flies in the face of conventional wisdom which says the tight race for the presidency also includes Chiluba's hand-picked successor, Levy Mwanawasa and Christon Tembo of the breakaway Forum for Democracy and Development. But it was MMD and Chiluba for whom Kaunda had little but scorn, attributing to them "a lack of nationalism and patriotism" and accusing them of assassinating potential leaders. After listing a number of attempts on his own life and his son Wezi among others, Kaunda vowed to continue speaking against "evil acts in the country despite the fact that as I speak I know they want to assassinate me but I will talk, I am not afraid." He said, returning to humanism, a theme that ran through much of his 19 years in office, the new government should rule faithfully and honestly. "You cannot remove faith from politics. New leaders must accept that they are servants of the people," he said. The ruling party was furious. MMD's spokesperson, Vernon Mwaanga described Kaunda as "sickening." "For Dr. Kaunda to poke into politics at this time is ridiculous. It does not help to issue foolish statements." Pro-government newspapers also editorialized against Kaunda's stance, claiming he was embittered and had now descended into partisan politics from where he would now become just another opposition campaigner, said the Times of Zambia. With Kaunda's outburst the talk of the political classes, other leaders, including Chiluba fanned out across the country wooing the 2.6 million registered voters. Director of elections Dan Kalale said registered voters would be allowed to pick up their registration cards anytime up to voting day but that the period for corrections was over. He said preparations were going smoothly. Several observer missions have registered, including the Southern Africa Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), the Commonwealth, the U.S.-based Carter Centre and the European Union. (SARDC) This article can be reproduced with credit to SARDC and the author Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC) |
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