2008 Zambian presidential election

Following Mwanawasa's death, some questioned whether it would be financially possible for the Electoral Commission of Zambia to hold the elections within the designated timeframe. It was also suggested that it would be necessary to hold the election without updating the voters' roll, but using an outdated voters' roll could cause complications during an election. The Electoral Commission decided to use the voters' roll from the 2006 elections due to lack of time. A group called Anti-Vote Rigging, which was aligned with the opposition, took the matter to the High Court, seeking a decision that would force the Electoral Commission to "register new voters ahead of the elections because most people will be defranchised". The High Court ruled on 14 October that it was acceptable to use the old voters' roll due to time constraints. At a press conference on 5 September, Sata demanded that a date for the elections be announced. ==Campaign==

On 27 September 2008, Chief Justice Ernest Sakala announced that four candidates had validly filed and would stand in the elections; Banda for the MMD, Sata for the PF, Hichilema for the UPND, and Miyanda for the Heritage Party. Two opinion polls conducted before the elections showed Sata in the lead; one of them was conducted by the Kenya-based Steadman Group, and it showed Sata with 40% support and Banda with 29% support. The MMD released a poll on 29 October that placed Banda's support at 42–46% and Sata's support at 31–35%. Banda filed his application to run as the party's candidate on 26 August. The MMD in Eastern Province issued a statement supporting his candidacy, and politicians such as Vernon Mwaanga and Mbita Chitala also stated their support; according to Chitala, Banda had the support of most members of the MMD National Executive Committee. Finance Minister Ng'andu Magande also applied to be the MMD's candidate on 25 August, saying that he was "eminently qualified" because he had "rich experience in managing state operations both internationally and locally". Tetamashimba praised their decision, saying that it would "enhance unity in the party". Ultimately there were 19 candidates. Shortly before the elections, he announced a 75% reduction in the price of fertilizer; this was considered a populist move intended to buttress his rural support. Speaking on 24 October, Independence Day, Banda said that the country could "look to the future with hope because even when prophets of doom were predicting chaos following the death of Mwanawasa, Zambians were united in ensuring that the due process of the law is observed as we prepare for his successor". He called for a high turnout in the elections. In reaction to Sata's statement that he would reject the results if he lost, Banda urged his opponents to accept the results on 27 October, warning that anyone who incited violence in the wake of the elections could face arrest. PF Michael Sata, the leader of the opposition Patriotic Front, stood as the PF candidate in the elections. He was unanimously chosen as the party's candidate at a meeting of its Central Committee on 30 August 2008. Accepting the nomination, he expressed the need "to scrub this country and wash it"; he also said that he would refrain from campaigning until after Mwanawasa's funeral. He said on 8 September that he would protect Chinese investments if he was elected, abandoning the hostility towards Chinese investment that he had expressed during the 2006 presidential election campaign. On 15 October, Sata said that, if elected, he would require foreign investors to reserve at least 25% of the shares in their companies for Zambians, with the penalty of losing their licenses if they did not do so. Sata also said that he would reduce taxes on government employees and improve housing, rural industries, and agriculture. However, UNIP ultimately did not present a candidate in the elections. ==Conduct==

The South African Development Community (SADC), the African Union and the European Union were invited to send election observers. The EU did not send observers due to the tight timeframe. Voting began at 6:00 in the morning on 30 October, and was scheduled to end 12 hours later. Sata voted in central Lusaka and "emphatically" reiterated that he would not accept a victory for Banda, saying that there was "no way MMD can win". He also alleged that the Electoral Commission and the police were working together to rig the elections. An apparent attempt at fraud was reported in Lusaka, where an election officer was arrested after he was found carrying an envelope containing ballots that were pre-marked in favour of Banda. ==Results==

According to early results from 19 of the 150 constituencies on 31 October, Sata had 60% of the vote and Banda had almost 31%. Later in the day, results from 43 constituencies showed Sata leading with 50.6% to Banda's 33.8%. The early results were mainly from urban constituencies, where the PF enjoyed strong support; the MMD's support was primarily based in rural areas. As voting continued on 31 October, results from 60 constituencies gave Sata a smaller lead: 43.8% against Banda's 34.1%. Hichilema, meanwhile, had 13.8%, and Miyanda had 0.6%. According to the Electoral Commission and African Union observers, voting went well and there were no major problems. An MMD prediction on television that Banda would defeat Sata by a 60,000 vote margin led the PF to allege that the prediction was part of an effort to manipulate the results. Results from the afternoon, with 137 constituencies counted, showed Sata leading with 39.9% to Banda's 39.1%, Final results were announced on 2 November 2008, confirming Banda's victory with 40.6% of the vote against 38.6% for Sata. Banda was promptly sworn in at State House on the same day, using his speech on the occasion to call for unity. Turnout was placed at 45%; Speaking on South African radio on 4 November, Sata denied that he had been defeated and stated: "Rupiah Banda has no vision, Rupiah Banda has no platform. The only platform Rupiah Banda is on is cheating." On 5 November, the Electoral Commission said that only a verification exercise, not a recount, would be conducted. It said that the verification exercise was a matter of standard procedure, but that a recount would require a court order. Within two days, the verification exercise was suspended in Lusaka after a physical altercation between members of the MMD and the PF. A member of the MMD alleged that Sata punched him during this brawl, but the PF disputed the claim. ==Aftermath==

In a cabinet reshuffle on 14 November, Banda dismissed five ministers. He appointed George Kunda as vice president and chose Situmbeko Musokotwane to replace Finance Minister Ng'andu Magande. ==References==