6 November 2008
editorial
FOLLOWING the election of President Rupiah Banda last week as Zambia's fourth President and the resounding endorsement of Senator Barack Obama as the 44th president of the US, many similarities seem to have come to the fore.
The two elections though thousands of miles apart are special in that for Zambia, the presidential election was called after the death of President Mwanawasa - a first in the 44-year history of this nation as an independent state that a president has died in office .
For the US and the rest of the world, the election of Mr Obama as the first black American to be elected president comes in the wake of the hundreds of years of racial prejudices which seemed entrenched in that society, up until the troubled years of the sixties when the civil rights movement began to resist, catching the attention of the rest of the world.
It has been over 40 years since one of the US's great black leaders , the late Martin Luther King Jnr, prophesied the dream of a classless American society. Obama's victory is a landmark in that struggle.
In his acceptance speech after President Banda took his oath as president of Zambia, one message seemed to resonate very clearly: that he did not want to preside over a divided nation. In that spirit, he offered an olive branch to his political adversaries inviting them to work with him in the development of the nation.
But it is with sadness that the invitation has been thrown right back in his face, with some political leaders declaring non compliance.
It is not surprising to note that some political leaders though being democratically rejected seem to have thrown out the principle of accepting defeat in a contest, reinforcing the notion that only they deserve to win- such a mindset is dangerous in a flourishing democracy such as ours.
Interestingly though, in his acceptance speech which bore many similarities to that of President Banda, Mr Obama embraced losing Republican candidate John McCain and his Republican party to work with him in overcoming some of the challenges that lie ahead. Equally Mr McCain congratulated his rival wishing him success in his new role.
What is worrying here in Zambia is that leaders who strive to lead people find it difficult to take electoral losses in their stride even when international, local and regional monitors and observers have given the thumbs up to the electoral process.
Zambia can take a leaf from the US situation, which by any standard, is admirable and deserves to be emulated.
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It is very unfortunate that someone with very little knowledge in politics in this political world can even try to compare zambian election to this great nation America. If you have nothing to write about don't expose your ignorance in public.You Zambians don't know anything about real democracy. America chose a young man with vigor to lead this great nation forward but you favored an out dated politician to lead you back wards.Obama led a good campaign, polls and many American wanted that change from Obama, but in Zambia it was Sata who led a good campaign and according to exit polls, it was Sata the people of Zambia needed with his message of change but he lost the election.Zambia can not be compared to America this is the reason why many people like America.
thanks for allowing space. i find it strange that someone in zambia today can talk of similarities between usa and zambia.this is because elections in zambia were simply not transpare and the so-called observes failed to substantiate their call that elections were free and fair. on the other hand if rupiah said he will not reign over a divided people.why is not stepping down by now because in asmuch as we pretend zambia currently is not united because the mmd rigged the elections.mcain conceded defeat because he lost openly,but our president chilufya did not under clear rules loss the elections.