2 November 2008
Zambia's Vice-President, Rupiah Banda, has edged out the main opposition challenger, Michael Sata, to win the presidential election, Zambia's electoral commission announced Sunday.
Banda won 40 percent of the vote (718,359 votes) against Sata's 38 percent (683,150 votes) in the race to replace President Levy Mwanawasa, who died after a stroke earlier this year.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia said 45 percent of the country's four million votes went to the polls.
Banda stood for the ruling Movement for Multi-Party Democracy and Sata for the Patriotic Front. Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development won 20 percent of the vote with 353,018 votes, and Godfrey Miyanda of the Heritage Party less than one percent, with 13,683 votes.
Reuters news agency reported that Sata challenged the results as they were being announced Saturday, alleging he was being cheated out of victory for the second successive presidential election. The agency quoted a Patriotic Front spokesman as saying there were discrepancies between voting figures and the number of registered voters.
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So Rupiah Banda (MMD) is the new President of Zambia.Michael Sata and his Patriotic Front party are now crying foul and claiming that the election has been stolen from them and unfortunately The Post newspaper (of Zambia), once a bastion of impartiality, is adding fuel to what might turn out to be a nasty fire.
Sata said before the election that he would only accept the outcome if he won! The danger is that he now tries to mobilise the popular support he has in the urban areas and causes civil disobedience. Zambia is a peaceful country with no history… [Read Full Text]
well Its not too bad that Rupiah Banda beat Michael Sata to it. But the question is will Banda still put a check on the thugs like Mwanawasa did? I dont think so, Zambia, Wake up, why did you have to elect an old head we are tied of all this old people, Levy was super,. you could have got someone younger There are so many intellegent guys out there. Wait and see we have another UNIP coming in, Banda will now bring in all the old heads from Kaunda's Regime watch this Zambia you will surely regret… [Read Full Text]
As a Gambian, i wish to congragulate Zambians for the peaceful way they conducted this election. I do believe that they were free and fair. Let the vision of Mwanawassa reign. To Michael Sata, i say try again or go serve your cousin, Robert Mugabe, of Zimbabwe as propaganda secretary. Sorry, but we just can't afford to have another Mugabe in Zambia.
Mr. Gambia,you have absolutely NO right to tell us who should rule us!!!! We the Zambians Love Michael Sata and its such a pity we lost!!i bet u have no idea comming from that tiny little undemocratic country of yours which closes raods for several hours just for the head of state to pass!!huh.... ask yo president to see Mugabe.......VIVA Michael Sata!!!
Mr Pacco whatever you are called i agree with other writersbut surely have no right to tell us who the Zambia people should vote for. We know that Zambia rejected Rupiah and MMD but because of people like you with corrupt deeds you managed to mislay RB.Its the hope of many Zambian that RB changes things for the better whilst surrounded but corrupt leaders what a shame.
Shame on the electroal commission of Zambia. No one has even clarified the issue of pre marked ballot papers that were found in wrong places. I personally have no confidence in the MMD… [Read Full Text]
Mr or Miss Mulenga, i can't believe as a proud Zambian you would stoop so low as to tear into the poor Gambian's praise. All the man was trying to say was that he was proud of how the Zambian people handled the election process. He meant that although we as Zambian's (some of us) may not have appreciated the winner or rather the outcome of the election, we handled it as sophisticated people that don't rush out to the streets and kill and burn everything around us. Why can't we just thank people when they give us praise? Mr… [Read Full Text]
Mr Pacco whatever you are called i agree with other writers surely have no right to tell us who the Zambia people should vote for. We know that Zambia rejected Rupiah and MMD but because of people like you with corrupt deeds you managed to mislay RB.Its the hope of many Zambian that RB changes things for the better whilst surrounded but corrupt leaders what a shame.
Shame on the electroal commission of Zambia. No one has even clarified the issue of pre marked ballot papers that were found in wrong places. I personally have no confidence in the MMD… [Read Full Text]
Finally Mr. Banda is the president of Zambia. I hope he does not give any position to Nevers Mumba. It will be interesting to see who the Vice pick will be. If Zambia has to continue with the same economical growth we had in the Mwanawasa regime, Corruption charges against Mr Chiluba should continue. Mr Mwanawasa distant himself with thieves, we hope to see that in this government. Mr Magnade would make a good pick for vice and get him read for 2011. Otherwise MMD will go to the dogs in 2011.