From: wsargeant@IGC.APC.ORG (Winslow L. Sargeant)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: IPS:Zambia, pre-election hopes give way
Date: 29 Jul 92 15:24:37 GMT

/* Written 12:03 am  Jul 29, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "ZAMBIA: PRE-ELECTION HOPES GIVE WAY" ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: ZAMBIA: PRE-ELECTION HOPES GIVE WAY TO DESPAIR


an inter press service feature

by jowie mwiinga

lusaka, jul 25 (ips) -- ''the hour has come'', the rallying cry
of pro-democracy activists in the run-up to zambia's general
elections in october 1991, is not heard very often these days.

instead, one increasingly hears the cynical ''the hour has
gone'', chanted at student demonstrations and other public
protests as the optimism of the transitional period gives way to
disillusionment and despair.

barely nine months after its triumphant rise to power,
president frederick chiluba's movement for multi-party democracy
(mmd) government is treading troubled political waters.

there is a growing feeling that zambia's democratic process
has been derailed, and that little more than personnel changes
were realised when the mmd took over the reins from former
president kenneth kaunda's united national independence party
(unip) after his 27 years in power.

''all this talk about a new political culture does not mean
anything'', says maybin chisanga, a disgruntled mmd cadre in
this zambian capital. ''things are just as bad as they were
under kaunda's rule''.

for months, the discontent simmered beneath the surface,
ignored. it exploded jul. 10 with the shock resignation of
youth, sport and child development minister baldwin nkumbula.

a week later, another member of the cabinet, science,
technical education and vocational training minister,
akashambatwa-mbikusita lewanika, resigned.

both ministers cited growing corruption, lack of
accountability by the government, and delays in effecting
constitutional reforms to trim presidential powers and
consolidate democracy as grounds for resigning.

lewanika hinted at tribalism, noting the ''undeclared
selective bias'' where certain constituencies were apparently
favoured in funding, and the ''undemocratic and inconsistent''
manner in which chiluba vetted and selected aspirants to
elective office. he also claimed chiluba rides rough-shod
over the cabinet. (more/ips)


zambia: pre-election (2)

the discontent of the two former ministers is being mirrored
by an increasing number of ordinary zambians. their concerns
revolve much more around the failure of the mmd to meet
expectations that this southern african country's economic
decline would be rapidly halted.

the mmd promised an accountable and transparent government.
questionable appointments and revelations of corruption in the
cabinet, critics say, suggest the contrary is being practised.

tribal tensions, meanwhile, have resurfaced following a
number of government appointments perceived as intended to
concentrate power in one ethnic group, the bemba-speaking
people of northern zambia, to which president chiluba belongs.

chiluba's more influential ministers -- ben mwila (defence),
emmanuel kasonde (finance), ronald penza (commerce and industry),
boniface kawimbe (health), michael sata (local government and
housing), ephraim chibwe (transport and communications) and
dean mungomba (national commission for development planning)
-- are all northerners.

collectively nicknamed the group of seven (g-7) by political
observers, these ministers, either close relatives of chiluba or
powerful businesspersons who funded the mmd election campaign,
are said to enjoy substantial influence over the president.

chibwe, penza and saza are currently under investigation for
alleged abuse of office over allocation of government contracts.

''our assesment is that the danger is no longer that of a
dictatorial president emerging, but of a small group of powerful
businesspersons and politicians controlling a weak president'',
a western diplomat told ips.

a lack of organised oppostion to the mmd as kaunda's unip
goes through a leadership crisis and other new parties struggle
to survive, has weakened zambia's democracy, observers here say.

inspite of opposition leaders, including united democratic
party (udp) president enoch kavindele, and caucus for national
unity (cnu) secretary patrick macwani, accusing chiluba of being
undemocratic, they fall far short of their role as a credible
opposition.

that has resulted in the rise of ethnic political
associations. notable among these are the ''bantu botatwe''
(three people), a grouping of the tonga, ila and lenje people of
the southern province.

the cnu itself, originally a pressure group for political
reform within the mmd, is regarded as an organisation of the
lozi-speaking people of the western province. (more/ips)


zambia: pre-election (3)

because they represent regional, rather than national
interests, none of the emerging political forces pose a serious
threat to the more representative mmd which in the general
election won 125 out of the 150 seats in parliament.

mmd national sectretary godffrey miyanda tuesday went on
national television with an impassionate appeal for the
electorate to give the mmd time.

''an avalanche of resignations from the cabinet would not be
in the interests of the nation. it would force us to call for an
early election, and our priorities at the moment lie outside
mere politicking'', he said.

chiluba, who in recent months has dismissed calls for an mmd
convention to review its status and activities within his
government, has come under pressure to act on allegations
against his ministers and clarify the issues raised by the
opposition.

''the resignations of the two ministers is part of the
democratic process but what is important now is for president
chiluba to take some action and clarify issues'', a western
diplomat told ips. (end/ips/jm/apc/oa/92)


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