Zambian Presidential Election

Editor | Tuesday November 4, 2008 00:00

Sata, who happens to be Robert Mugabe's admirer, had during the campaign charged that should he lose the elections, then they would not have been free and fair. Yet in a free and fair election, a candidate must be prepared to either win or lose. The irritable 'King Cobra', however, has commendably decided to channel his claims of vote fraud through the courts. Africans should learn to resolve their differences through the due process of the law. It is time Africa did away with the prevailing thinking among African political leaders that cheapens the life of the ordinary voter. The close margin of 40 percent for Banda and 38 percent for Sata is good for Zambia's democracy. The ruling party is bound to be accountable to all Zambians. Landslide victories have tended to make the winning parties arrogant and unaccountable.Banda was sworn-in on Sunday in the presence of the new South African president Kgalema Motlanthe and - of all people - Robert Mugabe. Motlanthe was obviously there as the new SADC chairman. But Mugabe's presence was curious, particularly that his Zimbabwean March 29 and June 27 polls were characterised by much violence and took almost six weeks to announce the results. Very strange indeed!

US Presidential Elections

Today the Americans go to the polls to elect their president. As the only super power in the world, the US elections are undoubtedly of interest to all citizens across the globe because American policies have far-reaching global repercussions. For instance, the current George W Bush administration's war-mongering policies have particularly not made the world any safer. The administration's unilateralism in international affairs has only heightened global tension and insecurity.It is for this reason that we support the change and hope that is being represented by the Democratic Party presidential candidate, Barack Obama.

We sincerely believe the election of John McCain of the Republican Party will further drive the world into the abyss that we find ourselves in. The direct effects of such an approach are evident in increased terrorist threat, skyrocketing food and oil prices, and the current global financial turmoil.Four more years of Republicanism could only spell doom for the world, particularly for smaller developing countries such as ours.

                                       Today's Thought

Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich by promising to protect each from the other.

                                               - Oscar Ameringer