Summary APC3701 - The Politics Of Southern Africa - Zambian presidential by-election of 2008
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APC3701 - The Politics Of Southern Africa
Instelling
University Of South Africa (Unisa)
Cheeseman and Hinfelaar (2009) argue that the way in which political parties responded to the Zambian presidential by-election of 2008 has three lessons to teach us in our studies of political parties. Name and discuss these three lessons. Which one these lessons is especially important, according ...
Cheeseman and Hinfelaar (2009) argue that the way in which political parties
responded to the Zambian presidential by-election of 2008 has three lessons
to teach us in our studies of political parties. Name and discuss these three
lessons. Which one these lessons is especially important, according to you,
in the study of the politics of Southern Africa today? Explain your answer.
Introduction
1. The untimely death of President Levy Mwanawasa on 19 August 2008
plunged Zambian politics into a state of flux. In contrast to the vast majority
of presidential systems, which allow for automatic internal succession with-
in the ruling party, the Zambian constitution stipulates that following the
death of the executive a 'by-election' must be held within 90 days. Conse-
quently, Mwanawasa's death was followed by a mixture of national mourn-
ing, factional realignment, and political uncertainty that was only partially
resolved by the narrow victory of the ruling Movement for Multi-Party De-
mocracy's Rupiah Banda. The unexpected presidential election represent-
ed a major test for both the government and the opposition. The central
challenge for the ruling Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD)
stemmed from the lack of an obvious replacement for Mwanawasa, the
government was thus forced to manage a difficult period of succession
politics while simultaneously rolling out an election campaign. The main
problem for the opposition was the short timeframe within which to secure
election funds and mobilize support, and the need to support the 21days of
national mourning.
2. This essay will discuss the way the main parties responded to the chal-
lenge of the resulting presidential by-election and the following three les-
sons to teach the emerging literature on political parties; First, Rupiah
Banda's rise to power within the MMD, Second, party platforms and the
party system; Finally, the ability of controversial opposition leader Michael
Sata to mobilise a diverse support base.
, Lesson 1: Rupiah Banda’s rise to power
1. First, Banda was able to use his position as Acting President during
Mwanawasa's lengthy illness, along with the support of his wealthy back-
ers, to construct a patronage network in preparation for the inevitable suc-
cession battle. At the same time, he had a clear advantage over his com-
petitors because, as acting leader, he enjoyed a monopoly over the main
media sources.
2. The second key factor underpinning his victory was the recognition of sen-
ior MMD ‘king makers’, many of whom had worked together under the
United National Independent Party (Unip) during the one-party state era,
that Banda was a figure from a similar political generation with whom they
could do business. As a result, leaders such as the wealthy and influential
former Foreign Minister Vernon Mwaanga threw their weight behind his
campaign, with hope of regaining their political
3. The final factor that contributed to Banda’s victory was his ability to pre-
sent himself as a candidate who would not use the presidency to build his
own dominant exclusionary clique within MMD, and hence as a less
threatening candidate to those with presidential aspirations in the near fu-
ture.
4. Banda’s victory highlights the complex process of succession politics and
has much to tell us about internal party dynamics within the types of domi-
nant-party systems. A wide range of factors played into the selection of the
MMD presidential candidate, including the need to keep the party together,
the ability of Banda to deliver patronage, the national popularity of different
candidates, and the age and profile of leading contenders.
Lesson 2: Party platforms and the party system
1. A second key theme within the third wave of party literature concerns the
way in which parties seek to articulate the demands of their supporters.
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