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Zambia

Zambia December 1st–31st 2016 Africa Research Bulletin – 21253 civic activists struggled to find out who Somalis had been promised a national Governmental Authority on Develop- had won which seat. So far, the PDP is election in 2016, however infighting, ment (IGAD), Ethiopia, Italy, Sweden, ahead. insecurity and lack of institutional Britain and the United States warned infrastructure meant they had to settle against allowing impunity to prevail Amaechi, the APC and its federal power for a “limited” political process. seem to have met their match in Gover- nor Wike. These messy elections in This process saw clan elders pick 14,025 Rivers will have national consequences: special delegates who voted for 275 seats firstly, that the APC cannot enforce its in the lower house of parliament. Judiciary Under Attack: Late in Novem- writ across the Delta. That will send a The country also saw the introduction of ber, the High Court overturned the results message to its dissidents. of four seats questioned following the an upper house and a quota reserving August elections: two won by the govern- President Buhari has not been directly 30% of seats for women. ing Patriotic Front (PF) in Lusaka, one by implicated in the political fixes in Rivers, While the very existence of the process is the opposition United Party for National but his self-proclaimed standing as a Development (UPND) in Southern Pro- seen as somewhat of a miracle in the born-again democrat could suffer badly vince and one independent in Western shattered nation, it has been riddled with if he fails to stop abuses on all sides. Province. The judges cited intimidation, vote buying, corruption and the usual (Africa Confidential 16/12) use of public resources for campaigning, clan disputes, says AFP (27/12). and violence. Ondo Gubernatorial Election: The INEC A last minute decision by Somali author- The PF members of parliament affected has declared Rotimi Akeredolu of the ities to add an extra 18 seats to the upper are both high-profile, Africa Confidential APC as the winner of the November house after complaints of insufficient points out: Margaret Mwanakatwe,in 26th governorship election in Ondo representation by some clans – bringing Lusaka Central, Minister of Commerce, State. According to Prof. Ganiyu Trade and Industry and a key ally of it to 72 members – drew the ire of the Ambali, INEC Returning Officer, Aker- President Edgar Lungu; and Profes- international community. edolu defeated two major opponents, sor Nkandu Luo in Munali, the Higher Eyitayo Jegede of the PDP and Olusola Somali leaders at the National leader- Education Minister. Both have challenged the ruling at the Constitutional Court, the Oke of the Alliance for Democracy ship forum (NLF) in Mogadishu on highest authority, but the appeals have (AD), to clinch victory. (Saharan Repor- December 25th issued a statement after not yet been decided. ters 27/11) weeks of heated talks, allocating three more seats to each federal member state Just after the High Court rulings, Lungu’s [Full results of the Ondo state guberna- spokesperson, Amos Chanda, strongly as follows, according to Shabelle Media torial election can be seen at: www.va attacked the judges on national television, News Network (25/12): nguardngr.com/2016/11/ondo-official-inec- accusing them of being opposition sym- result-update/] pathisers out to hand power to the Somaliland 14 seats UPND. Claiming the decisions against Puntland 14 seats the PF were indicative of a bias against the Galmudug 11 seats governing party in the judiciary, Chanda Hirshabelle 11 seats SOMALIA warned that the PF would flood the Galmudug 11 seats MPs Sworn In courtrooms with its supporters and that Jubbaland 11 seats it would embark on drastic judicial The presidential vote is delayed again “International partners believe that the reforms if such behaviour continued. The until January. reforms would involve public vetting of integrity of the 2016 electoral process judges. hangs in the balance,” read a statement Somalia swore in new lawmakers on by the United Nations Assistance Mis- Chanda’s attacks drew strong condemna- December 27th after weeks of voting in a sion in Somalia (Unisom) issued on tion from the Law Association of Zambia, complex political process seen as its a statutory corporate body of all legal December 27th. most democratic election in nearly five practitioners. LAZ President Linda decades, despite significant flaws. The statement also took aim at the Kasonde called the comments intimidation decision by officials to re-instate candi- and said Lungu was in contempt, since the The new parliament was inaugurated dates who had been disqualified. The cases he referenced were still active in under tight security in Mogadishu two court. Asked to condemn his aide, Lungu number of investigations into disputed months after voting began. Lawmakers instead defended him, saying that judges seats were dropped from 11 to five are expected to elect a president by secret were not immune to criticism. Senior PF without explanation. ballot, however it was unclear when that figures then joined the attack.. . would take place. “This fails to address a number of other Since the elections in August, Lungu and egregious cases of abuse of the electoral the PF have developed an extreme antipa- The vote for president has been put off process, including seats reserved for thy to criticism. Critics fear that Lungu several times as a result of delays in the women candidates only that were ulti- seeks to narrow Zambia’s democratic election of lawmakers due to clan dis- space and that its reputation for tolerance, mately taken by male candidates,” read putes, accusations of fraud, and organ- fair democratic competition and respect the statement. isational challenges. for human rights is fast eroding. (PANA Foreign ambassadors in Mogadishu also 24/11; Africa Confidential 16/12) However, Garoweonline (20/12) said failure by Somalia’s leaders to take reported that the latest dates for the On December 15th over 30 PF officials in action against serious electoral abuses elections of parliament speakers of the Luanshya were suspended for campaign- would have implications for the legiti- ing for an independent candidate for Upper and Lower Houses, and that macy of the government that will emerge mayor – Famous Kabwe – in the August for the president would take place from this process and, consequently, its election. (Facebook 15/12) on January 5th and 22nd 2017 relationship with the international com- respectively. President Lungu said on December 26th munity. that the PF was united and would not be Top election official Omar Mohamed distracted by people venting their anger In a joint statement issued on December Abdulle said 284 members of parliament and harbouring ambitions of taking over 21st, envoys from the United Nations were sworn in. Some lawmakers were from him in 2021. (Zambia Daily Mail (UN), the African Union (AU), the absent while other seats were still subject 26/12) European Union (EU), the Inter- to disputes. AB C © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series Wiley

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Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
© 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
ISSN
0001-9844
eISSN
1467-825X
DOI
10.1111/j.1467-825X.2017.07411.x
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

December 1st–31st 2016 Africa Research Bulletin – 21253 civic activists struggled to find out who Somalis had been promised a national Governmental Authority on Develop- had won which seat. So far, the PDP is election in 2016, however infighting, ment (IGAD), Ethiopia, Italy, Sweden, ahead. insecurity and lack of institutional Britain and the United States warned infrastructure meant they had to settle against allowing impunity to prevail Amaechi, the APC and its federal power for a “limited” political process. seem to have met their match in Gover- nor Wike. These messy elections in This process saw clan elders pick 14,025 Rivers will have national consequences: special delegates who voted for 275 seats firstly, that the APC cannot enforce its in the lower house of parliament. Judiciary Under Attack: Late in Novem- writ across the Delta. That will send a The country also saw the introduction of ber, the High Court overturned the results message to its dissidents. of four seats questioned following the an upper house and a quota reserving August elections: two won by the govern- President Buhari has not been directly 30% of seats for women. ing Patriotic Front (PF) in Lusaka, one by implicated in the political fixes in Rivers, While the very existence of the process is the opposition United Party for National but his self-proclaimed standing as a Development (UPND) in Southern Pro- seen as somewhat of a miracle in the born-again democrat could suffer badly vince and one independent in Western shattered nation, it has been riddled with if he fails to stop abuses on all sides. Province. The judges cited intimidation, vote buying, corruption and the usual (Africa Confidential 16/12) use of public resources for campaigning, clan disputes, says AFP (27/12). and violence. Ondo Gubernatorial Election: The INEC A last minute decision by Somali author- The PF members of parliament affected has declared Rotimi Akeredolu of the ities to add an extra 18 seats to the upper are both high-profile, Africa Confidential APC as the winner of the November house after complaints of insufficient points out: Margaret Mwanakatwe,in 26th governorship election in Ondo representation by some clans – bringing Lusaka Central, Minister of Commerce, State. According to Prof. Ganiyu Trade and Industry and a key ally of it to 72 members – drew the ire of the Ambali, INEC Returning Officer, Aker- President Edgar Lungu; and Profes- international community. edolu defeated two major opponents, sor Nkandu Luo in Munali, the Higher Eyitayo Jegede of the PDP and Olusola Somali leaders at the National leader- Education Minister. Both have challenged the ruling at the Constitutional Court, the Oke of the Alliance for Democracy ship forum (NLF) in Mogadishu on highest authority, but the appeals have (AD), to clinch victory. (Saharan Repor- December 25th issued a statement after not yet been decided. ters 27/11) weeks of heated talks, allocating three more seats to each federal member state Just after the High Court rulings, Lungu’s [Full results of the Ondo state guberna- spokesperson, Amos Chanda, strongly as follows, according to Shabelle Media torial election can be seen at: www.va attacked the judges on national television, News Network (25/12): nguardngr.com/2016/11/ondo-official-inec- accusing them of being opposition sym- result-update/] pathisers out to hand power to the Somaliland 14 seats UPND. Claiming the decisions against Puntland 14 seats the PF were indicative of a bias against the Galmudug 11 seats governing party in the judiciary, Chanda Hirshabelle 11 seats SOMALIA warned that the PF would flood the Galmudug 11 seats MPs Sworn In courtrooms with its supporters and that Jubbaland 11 seats it would embark on drastic judicial The presidential vote is delayed again “International partners believe that the reforms if such behaviour continued. The until January. reforms would involve public vetting of integrity of the 2016 electoral process judges. hangs in the balance,” read a statement Somalia swore in new lawmakers on by the United Nations Assistance Mis- Chanda’s attacks drew strong condemna- December 27th after weeks of voting in a sion in Somalia (Unisom) issued on tion from the Law Association of Zambia, complex political process seen as its a statutory corporate body of all legal December 27th. most democratic election in nearly five practitioners. LAZ President Linda decades, despite significant flaws. The statement also took aim at the Kasonde called the comments intimidation decision by officials to re-instate candi- and said Lungu was in contempt, since the The new parliament was inaugurated dates who had been disqualified. The cases he referenced were still active in under tight security in Mogadishu two court. Asked to condemn his aide, Lungu number of investigations into disputed months after voting began. Lawmakers instead defended him, saying that judges seats were dropped from 11 to five are expected to elect a president by secret were not immune to criticism. Senior PF without explanation. ballot, however it was unclear when that figures then joined the attack.. . would take place. “This fails to address a number of other Since the elections in August, Lungu and egregious cases of abuse of the electoral the PF have developed an extreme antipa- The vote for president has been put off process, including seats reserved for thy to criticism. Critics fear that Lungu several times as a result of delays in the women candidates only that were ulti- seeks to narrow Zambia’s democratic election of lawmakers due to clan dis- space and that its reputation for tolerance, mately taken by male candidates,” read putes, accusations of fraud, and organ- fair democratic competition and respect the statement. isational challenges. for human rights is fast eroding. (PANA Foreign ambassadors in Mogadishu also 24/11; Africa Confidential 16/12) However, Garoweonline (20/12) said failure by Somalia’s leaders to take reported that the latest dates for the On December 15th over 30 PF officials in action against serious electoral abuses elections of parliament speakers of the Luanshya were suspended for campaign- would have implications for the legiti- ing for an independent candidate for Upper and Lower Houses, and that macy of the government that will emerge mayor – Famous Kabwe – in the August for the president would take place from this process and, consequently, its election. (Facebook 15/12) on January 5th and 22nd 2017 relationship with the international com- respectively. President Lungu said on December 26th munity. that the PF was united and would not be Top election official Omar Mohamed distracted by people venting their anger In a joint statement issued on December Abdulle said 284 members of parliament and harbouring ambitions of taking over 21st, envoys from the United Nations were sworn in. Some lawmakers were from him in 2021. (Zambia Daily Mail (UN), the African Union (AU), the absent while other seats were still subject 26/12) European Union (EU), the Inter- to disputes. AB C © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Journal

Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural SeriesWiley

Published: Jan 1, 2017

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