Leaders’ Election Process in Zambia – 8 Major Steps

An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold elected status (public office). Election process have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated since the 17th century.

Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the executive and judiciary, and for regional and local government. This process is also used in many other private and business organisations, from clubs to voluntary associations and corporations.

Types of Elections in Zambia

There are three types of elections in Zambia. These are:

Primary Elections

• These are held whenever democratic parties want to choose candidates to stand in Presidential, Parliamentary, and Local Government Elections.
• The Purpose of these elections is to enable a political party to democratically select suitable candidates from the applicants wishing to stand on its ticket.

Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections

• These are also known as General or Tripartite Elections.
• The word Tripartite comes from the word triple meaning three.
• A tripartite election means that there are three types (i.e. Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections) held at the same time.
• These elections are held every five (5) years to elect the President, Members of Parliament, and Ward Councillors as stipulated in the Zambian Constitution.
• Members of Parliament are the link between the government and the people.
• They take issues of development from their constituencies to the government and explain to the people what the government is planning to do or is doing.
• The council tackles development at the local level and makes by-laws to be followed in a district.

Presidential elections

•These take place every five years to elect the president
•A person may be elected for two five-year terms and serve for a maximum period of ten years

Parliamentary elections

•Are held to elect a member of parliament (MPs
•They form the central government of the country

Local government elections

•Are held for people to elect their ward’s representative in local government authority
•The term of office for Ward or Branch Councillors is three years

By-Elections

•By-elections are held when a councillor or Member of Parliament or President dies, resign from his or her party or is imprisoned for more than six months.

Note:

•To stand in a Presidential Election, a candidate must be sponsored by a political party.
•In the Parliamentary and Local Government Elections, a candidate can either be sponsored by a political party or stand as an independent.

Zambia’s Electoral Process

• An electoral process is a series of interlinked stages of events involved in the selection of representatives through an election.
• Zambia’s electoral process is provided for under the Electoral Act of 2006.
• The Electoral Act of 2006 provides for the institutional frame work, the electoral system, procedures for delimiting the constituencies, qualifications and requirements for candidates and the process of elections.

The Following are the basic stages in the electoral process in Zambia:

Legislation (Legal Framework)

•This is the enactment of the law on elections in Zambia. It is done by Parliament.

Delimitation

•This is the demarcating or the dividing of the country into constituencies.
•The Delimitation Commission of Zambia conducts hearing sessions in districts concerning delimitation of constituencies.
•Districts with big populations are divided into more constituencies and wards

Election Timetable

•The electoral Commission draws up an electoral time table for the elections.
•The election date is advertised so that people know well in advance when they have to vote.

Registration of Voters

•The Electoral Commission of Zambia sets the dates and duration for the registration of voters.
•Zambian citizens who are 18 years and above with Green National Registration Cards are allowed to register as voters.

Verification of Voter’s Roll

•This is the exercise to enable the electorates to make corrections if any on their names in the voter’s roll.

Nomination of Candidates

•Once candidates have been identified and selected, dates for filling in nomination papers stipulating qualifications of candidates are set.
•The nomination day marks the beginning of official campaigns.

Election Campaigns

•Campaign strategies vary from party to party.
•This includes; political rallies, indoor meetings, door to door canvassing, the use of posters, wearing of T-shirts with campaign messages, etc.

Polling Day

This is the day electorates or voters go to polling stations to vote for the candidate of their choice.

Counting, Verification and announcing of results

•After voting is done, votes are counted at the polling station at which they were cast.
•The Electoral Commission of Zambia through Town Clerks or Council Secretaries check on the voting results to ensure that the election results contain correct figures and are a true reflection of the votes cast.
•After verification of results, the electoral commission will announce the results

Functions of Electoral Commission of Zambia

• Making rules that provide for the registration of voters
• Training and supplying electoral officers for each polling station
• Conducting elections
• Specifying offences and penalties in connection with elections
• Appointing voting petitions and hearing about these
• Receiving nominations by candidates for elections
• Announcing election results after counting and verification have been done.
• Assigning presiding officers in polling stations.

Electoral Malpractice

• Electoral malpractices, includes any act, omission or commission that attempts to or in essence circumvent the electoral process to favor a person, candidate or party.
• It is any wrongdoing affecting electoral procedures, electorates and electoral materials. The following can be said to constitute electoral malpractices
• Intimidation of voters
• Partisanship by Electoral officers
• Under age voting and impersonation
• Diversion of Electoral materials
• Theft of ballot boxes e.t.c

Causes

•Crave for power
•Poverty
•Lack of political education
•Bribery and corruption
•Inadequate planning

Electrol Code of Conduct

Under electoral Code of Conduct, nobody is allowed to:

•Cause violence using offensive language or undesirable conduct
•Intimidate voters or opponents at political meeting, demonstration or other public gathering of political nature
•Make false allegations of any person or party in connection with an election.
•Arrange a public meeting or rally or match at the same time and venue as another similar political events
•Damage or destroy any political campaign materials of any person.
•Exchange any person’s voters’ card for money

Revision questions three

1. In your understanding define the term ‘elections’.
2. Discuss what happens at every level of Zambia’s electoral process.
3. What types of elections are held in Zambia?
4. Name any African country where elections were followed by protests and violence. Discuss what led to this situation and suggest how it could have been