Can Zambia Continue To Be Peaceful In The Wake Of Poll Results

By Sally Chiwama

“If Zambia continues to be a peaceful country after election results
are announced then she will have passed the test,” this was the
observation of Kenyan High Commissioner to Zambia, Dr. Kipyego
Cheluget, after voters went to the polls on September 20.
Dr.  Cheluget knows what he is talking about.  Before the disputed
national elections of 2007 Kenya, like Zambia, was considered the
oasis of peace and tranquillity. Kenya, like Zambia today, was at the
time enjoying remarkable economic growth and enviable relations
between the various ethnic groups of the country.

But all this unravelled in the days following the election results
when the country split into two with one of the dominant tribes of
Kenya – the Kikuyu – taking one side, while on the opposing side the
other dominant tribe, the Kalenjin also plotted mischief.

In the upsurge of violence that encompassed the country 1,200 died and
over 500, 000 fled from their homes for fear of ethnic violence or the
reprisals that followed the violence. And that Kenyan violence was
triggered off by reports that government supporters had tried to rig
the elections.

It is for this reason that Kenyan High Commissioner Cheluget advises
that Zambia can only celebrate the September 20 polls after the
outcome of the election is known and accepted by all parties that
participated.

Dr. Cheluget was speaking not only in his capacity as High
Commissioner of his country in Zambia but also as observer of the
elections on behalf of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern
Africa (COMESA).

“The test will come after tomorrow if indeed Zambia is a peaceful
Nation,” he admonished. As regards the September 20 Zambian elections
Dr. Cheluget observed that the Electoral Commission of Zambia have
been very transparent in their work from the time of printing of the
ballots up to the time the ballots were transported into the country.

“They have been very open and have shown that they have no hidden
agenda,” he said.

For many years Zambia has been known to be the haven of peace. He
emphasized that it was important for Zambia to remain peaceful but the
peace that it enjoys, must not be taken for granted because no one
wanted to see what happened in Kenya to happen in Zambia.

“We thought in Kenya we had peace because we took it for granted, but
for as long as we keep preaching peace but people are hungry that does
not inspire confidence in the people,” Dr. Cheluget declared.

And a Kenyan citizen working for the Social Development Network
(SODNET) says that elections are no longer about Electoral Commission,
or the Police or the NGOs or the observers but that they are about the
citizens of a country who are the major stakeholders.

Phillip Thigo states that the threshold on whether the elections are
‘free and fair’ lies in the citizens and no longer with NGOs or
observers and this is what brings tension when they (the citizens) see
what happens [is not in accordance with the law.

Church bodies in Zambia have in recent weeks been praying to God for
his intervention, as they went to the polls, so that peace may prevail
in the aftermath of September 20 elections.

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