ALLOWING BIDEN TO TALK AT DEMOCRACY SUMMIT WAS ‘SCANDALOUS’ – DR. ZIMBA
Lusaka, Saturday (April 29, 2023)
Former Presidential Political Advisor Chris Zimba says the Democracy Summit 2023 lost its relevance by allowing US President Joe Biden to speak when his electoral outcome was challenged by Donald Trump.
Dr. Zimba said former President of Zambia Edgar Lungu, former President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta, former President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro, former President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari, among others, should have been given space to talk from experience on how they respected institutions of democracy by handing over power peacefully.
Speaking to Afro Democracy Journal (ADJ), he said the 2023 Democracy Summit was practically and technically a failure because the theme was important and applicable to a lot of countries but the hosts, Americans and the other co-host countries, did not invite other speakers to add value.
“When you talk about the theme ‘Fostering Electoral Integrity’ it is a very important theme in terms of democracy promotion. However, you cannot talk about Fostering Electoral Integrity and you invite only speakers that are only sitting Presidents and many of them if not all of them, have never lost an election and even conceded defeat,” he said.
Dr. Zimba said ‘Fostering Electoral Integrity’ should have seen them invite speakers such as former Heads of State, former Prime Ministers and people that went through Presidential elections, Parliamentary elections, a national elections and at some point lost, conceded defeat and handed overpower to another leader peacefully.
“Such were supposed to be key speakers who would have brought value to the 2023 Democracy Summit because at that level they would have been speaking from a democracy practical point of view,” he said.
Dr. Zimba cited Former President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro who lost an election, having served for one term, to another former President President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and he did not resist.
“He left the power, political space and today, Lula da Silva is President of Brazil. Bolsonaro, after ruling for only one term is now former. Bolsonaro should have been one of the key speakers at the Democracy Summit with regard to the theme of Enhancing Electoral Integrity. He would have spoken from the point of experience in respecting electoral results.
He said former President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya should have been one of the key speakers at the Democracy Summit because he served two terms and he paved way for a new President.
“He supported Raila Odinga but Odinga lost to President William Ruto who he opposed but President Kenyatta still supported and endorsed the outcome of the elections in Kenya and ensured that the transfer of power went to President Ruto. Such should have been speakers at that Democracy Summit because President Kenyatta would have spoken from experience of respecting governance institutions as well as electoral outcome and processes from the perspective of Kenya,” he said.
Dr. Zimba said former President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari also served for two terms but paved way for an election in which he never participated.
“President Buhari never went for a third term and ensured that the winner was given power. Today he is former President who respected governance institutions and democracy in Nigeria. He should have been one of the key speakers to speak at that Democracy Summit,” he said.
Dr. Zimba said former President Edgar Lungu who lost elections to President Hakainde Hichilema in 2021 General Elections equally conceded defeat and handed over power to President Hichilema peacefully.
“President Lungu, from the Zambian point of view, that was also one of the co-hosts of this Democracy Summit, was supposed to be invited as one of the key speakers to talk about ‘Fostering Electoral Integrity’ and respecting election outcomes because he would have been speaking from experience as a champion of democracy,” he said.
Dr. Zimba said, unfortunately, the 2023 Democracy Summit never had such speakers.
He said President Joe Biden was once more lecturing on Democracy and respect for Electoral Integrity to the world when he had his election challenged and denounced by his rival Donald Trump.
“President Trump even never attended the inauguration of President Biden. Trump treats Biden as an illegitimate President. He treats the electoral outcome of the American Presidency as an election that was rigged. President Biden was not supposed to be one of the people to speak about Electoral Integrity. Just like President Trump cannot be invited because he is in political denial. They should have invited some of the people I have just talked about to be key speakers,” he said.
Dr. Zimba said Americans, at the Inauguration of President Biden, mobilised more than 30, 000 uniformed people to ensure law and order because people were protesting.
“Some people died in Washington on the Presidency of Biden because the Presidential Electoral outcome was challenged and denounced by other stakeholders. From a practical point of view, President Biden cannot and was not supposed to be the only speaker. Other people such as former Presidents and former Prime Ministers who have handled the Electoral process in a legitimate and acceptable way should have been brought to the table,” he said.
Dr. Zimba said the 2023 Democracy Summit was a failure because of the design and discriminatory approach in terms of those they invited to speak because they wanted to speak from their perspective as sitting Presidents and sitting leaders.
“It is important that when you speak about democracy, you ensure that it is practical and other champions of democracy who have walked the democracy path are brought to the table,” he said.