afrol News, 27 September - Following a dirty election campaign, the opposition's populist candidate Michael Sata is favourite to win tomorrow's presidential elections in Zambia. President Levy Mwanawasa however urges Zambians not to throw away the important gains his government are said to have made in the fight against poverty.

President Mwanawasa is seeking a second five-year term in the Lusaka presidency, pointing to the positive economic development in the impoverished nation. The incumbent and his predecessor, Frederick Chiluba, have not managed to reduce rampant poverty in Zambia - a country very rich in natural resources - despite more than a decade of IMF-prescribed economic reforms.

During the last two years, however, the Zambian economy seems to have reached a turning point, with high growth rates and foreign debt cancellation. President Mwanawasa in his election campaign has tried to capitalise on these recent gains, saying a vote for the challenger would put positive trends at risk.

Mr Sata however articulates the popular feeling that Zambia has been sold out to the IMF and foreign investors - especially the Chinese - during the economic reform programmes. Recent gains, he holds, were only due to currently high copper prices, and growing revenues were not being channelled to the mass of Zambia's population, still living in utter poverty. Mr Sata has promised to implement costly social programmes and cut taxes for workers.

The campaign has been marked by personal attacks and dirty tricks. While President Mwanawasa has tried to stay above these tactics, his main supporters have called Mr Sata "Satan". The challenger and his followers, on the other hand, generally and disrespectfully refer to the President as "a cabbage", in a populist campaign that ridicules Mr Mwanawasa and his mental capacities.

Unfair tactics have also been used by the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), which is to have abused its power base to influence Zambia's state broadcaster ZNBC. According to a study released by the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), President Mwanawasa and the MMD had secured "a whopping 75 percent of the ZNBC radio news coverage" between July and August, giving very little airtime to opposition candidates.

Polls nevertheless indicate Mr Sata may be declared winner when the electoral commission is expected to announced the final poll results on Saturday. Zambians at large have been impatient and disappointed with the MMD governments that have ruled the country since the return to multi-party democracy in 1991.

President Mwanawasa himself never has scored high on popularity rates in Zambia. He was surprisingly declared the successor of President Chiluba after his failed attempt to amend constitution allowing him a third term. Mr Mwanawasa in 2001 only was elected President with only 29 percent of the votes, one percent ahead of the nearest contender. Zambian legislation only foresees one polling round, where the candidate gaining most votes has won.

This year, only three presidential candidates are asking for the confidence of Zambians, with Mr Mwanawasa and Mr Sata being the only having a chance of winning. Local and parliamentary elections are held simultaneously.

By staff writers

© afrol News

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