Zambia presidential by-election - January 20, 2015

[Famous Mortimer]

The two main parties are nominally social democratic but really they're just ideologically void.

The opposition Movement for Multiparty Democracy is exactly what its name suggests. It brought together the opposition to the single party state in the early 90s. It had no real platform other than "free elections are nice" and even on that point, it has since wavered.

The Patriotic Front splintered away from the MMD when Michael Sata failed to get their presidential nomination. So their platform is basically "free elections are nice, especially when Michael Sata is a candidate" and he's dead now.

United Party for National Development is definitely a the most ideologically committed of the major parties although that's not saying much. In the 2006 elections, it ran in an alliance with UNIP (the former sole legal party) and Forum for Democracy and Development, another group of MMD lawmakers who were mad they got passed over. Then in 2009 it made an alliance with the Patriotic Front.

[Famous Mortimer]

Is he really Kaunda's nephew or is that just some BS honorific because they're from the same tribe/town? Like how Obama is Odinga's cousin?

Also, I wonder if Banda could resurrect the UNIP, since he used to be a member up until relatively recently.

[Famous Mortimer]

Basically, any time anything is reported in Zambia, you can assume that the opposite is about to happen.

[Famous Mortimer]

Frank Bwalya is an interesting fellow. First, he's an active Catholic priest. Second, he became famous for protesting against the rigging of the 2008 elections (by the MMD against the Patriotic Front, who were probably the real winners). That made him quite popular with the Patriotic Front. Later though, he called President Sata a "potato" and was put in jail, charges were later dismissed.

He's a good guy. I'm sad to see him working with Lungu, since I generally like the other faction.

[Famous Mortimer]

I'm surprised so many people are running for the PF if only because the PF used to be a tiny ass party. Can you find any information on where these people came from? I know Sata and Scott are from MMD. All the others as well?

[Famous Mortimer]

Who is Miles Sampa?

[Famous Mortimer]

Sata was a very devout Catholic and Lungu's running mate is a priest.

[Famous Mortimer]

I should say he very publicly Catholic then. Basically every profile written about him always mentioned that in the first paragraph.

[Famous Mortimer]

0.75% for the MMD candidate is obviously a disaster. MMD did after all rule Zambia for twenty years (1991-2011) and is (was?) the best organized of the three big parties. Given how many of the MPs that have deserted it will be hard for them to regroup and bounce back before 2016.

Brings to mind Mali, where ADEMA came in a distant 3rd to two breakaway parties.