THERE IS NO SHAME IN LOSING ELECTIONS
By Kombe Chimpinde Mataka
VERNON Mwaanga says there is no shame in losing elections.
Mwaanga, a veteran politician and diplomat, says elections are the central institution of democratic representative government”.
“In any elections, there are bound to be losers. This does not mean that the losing persons in free and fair elections have no contribution to make to the development of Zambia. It is important to understand that there is no shame in losing elections,” he said in a statement.
“Shame enters into the matter only if those who are defeated in lawful elections do not work loyally for our country by disagreeing with the will of the people. By the mere act of standing in the elections they strengthen our democracy.”
Mwaanga recalled that the Mwangala Zaloumis committee on electoral reforms, constituted by late president Levy Mwanawasa “made very important recommendations about the need for reforms and making the electoral process open and transparent from A to Z”.
“This committee included eminent persons such as former president Edgar Lungu and former speaker of the national assembly Dr Patrick Matibini. A number of countries have bought copies of this report and successfully implemented many of the recommendations contained in the report. Let me hasten to add that not all elections are free or fair.
I led a large group of international observers and thousands of local monitors to a certain African country where I qualified elections which had just been held as ‘free, but not fair’, much to the annoyance of the host country,” Mwaanga recalled.
“Disputing the outcome of elections does not happen in Africa only. Take the United States of America where losing candidate former president Donald Trump claimed and up to this day still claims that elections, which ushered in President Joe Biden was ‘rigged’ without producing evidence in support of his false claims. In many countries in Africa election outcomes have led to internal conflicts and even wars.”
He however said there is a court option for those who are disputing election outcomes. “The courts rely on ‘evidence’. This principle of holding free, fair and credible elections, applies [also] to elections within all political parties. Charity begins at home. Party officials from branch to the central committee or national executive committee levels, must practice internal democracy in their political parties,” said Mwaanga.
“As Africans, it is our collective duty to repair the damage done to our ill-wishers who used and still call us a dark continent. There is nothing dark about our beloved continent. We are proud Africans who believe in our continent. We deserve our place at the global table, of equal partners.