By Sifelani Tsiko
Harare,Zimbabwe (Oct 5 2006)

ZAMBIA. President Levy Mwanawasa won a new and final term of office after beating his main challenger Michael Sata of the Patriotic Front in a tightly contested race in the September 28 vote which was marred with a brief episode of violent protests.

Mr Mwanawasa,a lawyer by profession and leader of the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy, won 1 177 846 votes about 42 percent of 2,7 million votes cast while his main opponent Mr Sata polled 804 748 votes or 29,37 percent of the total votes cast.

United Democratic Alliance president Hakainde Hichilema was third with 693 772 votes (25,32 percent) while Godfrey Miyanda of the Heritage Party came fourth with 42 891 votes (1,57 percent).

At the bottom of them all was Winright Ngondo of the All People's Congress Party who got 20 921 votes, representing 0,76 percent of the total vote cast.

Sata's supporters protested violently in Lusaka on October 1 and 2 alleging that Mr Mwanawasa had rigged the elections through flaws in the counting process.

However, Sata conceded defeat soon after the announcement of the result and appealed to his supporters to remain calm and refrain from any violent activity.

He said he had a plan in and outside the Parliament to resolve the alleged rigging
Despite the protests by Sata's party, international monitors endorsed the polls as transparent, free and fair and that "people were able to express their will without any fear of intimidation."

Although critics described Mwanawasa's win as a 'razor thin victory,' he can directly appoint eight more deputies in addition to the 72 MMD candidates that were elected enabling him to steer legislation through parliament without depending on independents.

The Patriotic Front won 46 seats while the United Democratic Alliance has 27 representatives in the 158-seat Zambian chamber.

Mwanawasa's strong hold is in the rural areas while Sata enjoys support in the capital Lusaka and the northern Copperbelt mining region.

Mwanawasa was sworn in on October 3 at the Parliament building in Lusaka. The ceremony was witnessed by Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba and the vice presidents of Botswana and Zimbabwe.

"Let us now work together. Through these elections, it is clear that our people have spoken in a voice that can never be ignored," said Mwanawasa on his inauguration.

"They want a general improvement of their lives...We have to fight poverty and we have to fight all vices that are affecting our country."

Critics say Mwanawasa's slight majority rule will be undermined by the opposition.
"For most of the 1990s, former Zambian President Frederick Chiluba could count on a legislature controlled by the MMD," said a Zambian political commentator. "But Mwanawasa chosen by Chiluba as the MMD won't have the same luxury. Chiluba's camp is now going all out to undermine Mwanawasa."

Mwanawasa was first elected into office in 2001 and has managed to embark on wide ranging economic reforms and an anti-corruption drive which he pledged to continue working on to his supporters during the build up to the elections.

Kenneth Kaunda, the founding president of Zambia was ousted by the MMD in 1991 after 27 years in power.
Mwanawasa accused Chiluba who handpicked him to succeed him of damaging the economy through corruption and cronyism.
Under him, he said the Zambian economy had registered a growth of fice percent and drop in inflation from 16 percent in 2002 to a single digit level of 8,2 percent by September 2006.

He also managed to pursue prudent economic policies that sought to increase agricultural production and encourage foreign investment. His campaign against corruption and graft has endeared him to the donors and the multilateral financial agencies.

His main rival, Sata, dismissed Mwanawasa's success stories as a smokescreen to endemic poverty among Zambians.
During his campaign, Sata promised to redistribute the mines, reduce income taxes and chase away foreign investors and Chinese business people who exploited Zambians.

He also tried to use Mwanawasa's poor health as a campaign tool, arguing that he was not fit enough to lead Zambians for another term.

"The results clearly show that the urban (areas) have rejected Mr Mwanawasa but the opposition failed to extend their support to the rural population and that cost him (Mr Sata) the vote," said Neo Simutanyi, a pollster with the Pangolin Consulting group, which had forecast Mr Mwanawasa's victory.

"However, their combined votes as the opposition completely defeat (Mr) Mwanawasa. Therefore, they split the vote."
Despite protests by Sata's supporters in Lusaka, the election results demonstrate that Zambia is maturing into a real democracy where patience, confidence and tolerance are becoming a important hallmark of the electoral process.