Who Would Have Thought that Hakainde Hichilema Would Take Zambia’s Democracy Backward?
Nic Cheeseman Wrote;
New piece for the Conversation: Why we need to start talking about Zambia
“I take no pleasure in saying this. The last time I wrote such an article about Zambia, it was to condemn the persecution of Hichilema after he was arrested in 2017 on trumped up treason charges. I was honoured to receive a letter of thanks upon his release.
Like many Zambians and international observers, I was hopeful for the new administration. Yet, while the government has kept some campaign promises and negotiated a difficult deal on the country’s debt burden, efforts to restore democracy are now going backwards .
Zambia needs a new constitution, but it deserves one that is rooted in evidence, consultation and democratic principles. Anything less threatens to undermine the country’s hard-won democratic gains and Hichilema’s own legacy.”
https://lnkd.in/g555B7bF
Nic Cheeseman is a Professor of Democracy at the University of Birmingham and a leading expert on African politics and elections