ZAMBIA: VOTERS ELECT KAUNDA PRESIDENT IN FIRST GENERAL ELECTION SINCE INDEPENDENCE
Record ID:
328422
ZAMBIA: VOTERS ELECT KAUNDA PRESIDENT IN FIRST GENERAL ELECTION SINCE INDEPENDENCE
- Title: ZAMBIA: VOTERS ELECT KAUNDA PRESIDENT IN FIRST GENERAL ELECTION SINCE INDEPENDENCE
- Date: 21st December 1968
- Summary: LUSAKA STREET SCENE; ELECTION POSTER; PEOPLE QUEUEING AT POLLING STATION; WORKMEN SETTING UP TV PROJECTION BOARD; ANOTHER LUSAKA POLLING STATION; VOTERS QUEUEING; MEN WITH UNIP ELECTION POSTERS. Initials ?/VS/MR/SC Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 5th January 1969 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LUSAKA, ZAMBIA.
- Country: Zambia
- Reuters ID: LVA5JJMV9SFIHC40WY9Q05NSIVM2
- Story Text: ZAMBIA'S 1,500,000 VOTERS LAST THURSDAY (19 DECEMBER) WENT TO THE POLLS TO ELECT DR. KENNETH KAUNDA PRESIDENT FOR A NEW TERM IN THE COUNTRY'S FIRST GENERAL ELECTION SINCE INDEPENDENCE IN 1964. DR. KAUNDA'S RULING UNITED NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE PARTY (UNIP) SECURED A MAJORITY IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.
DR. KAUNDA DEFEATED VETERAN AFRICAN NATIONALIST HARRY NKUMBULA, LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS (ANC).
ELECTION CAMPAIGNING HAD BEEN MARRED BY SPORADIC VIOLENCE IN WHICH THREE PEOPLE ARE KNOWN TO HAVE DIED. DR. KAUNDA HAD CALLED ON THE PEOPLE TO DEMONSTRATE ZAMBIA'S MATURITY AND STABILITY A MERE FOUR YEARS AFTER INDEPENDENCE BY CALM AND PEACEFUL ELECTIONS.
POLLING PASSED OFF WITH GENERAL ORDERLINESS AND ONLY A FEW MINOR INCIDENTS OCCURRED.
WORKMEN SET UP EQUIPMENT TO ALLOW TELEVISION RETURNS TO BE PROJECTED ON A HUGE SCREEN AT THE LUSAKA SHOWGROUNDS.
THE UNIP VICTORY WILL ENABLE DR. KAUNDA TO CARRY OUT HIS PLANNED CABINET RE-SHUFFLE AND PUSH THROUGH SWEEPING ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS AIMED AT DECENTRALISING GOVERNMENT. EIGHT OF DR. KAUNDA'S 17-MAN CABINET ARE TO BECOME PROVINCIAL OVERLORDS OUTSIDE LUSAKA, HE HAS ANNOUNCED.
THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE OF THE CAMPAIGN WAS MR. NKUMBULA'S POLICY OF TRADING FREELY WITH WHITE-DOMINATED SOUTH AFRICA IN ORDER, HE SAID, TO PUT ZAMBIA'S ECONOMIC INTERESTS FOREMOST.
THIS RAN DIRECTLY COUNTER TO DR. KAUNDA'S CLEAR OPPOSITION TO MR. IAN SMITH'S SALISBURY REGIME AND HIS DETERMINATION TO CUT TRADE WITH RHODESIA.
UNIP CAMPAIGNED ON ITS RECORD IN OFFICE AND ACHIEVEMENTS CARRIED OUT DESPITE RHODESIA'S SEIZURE OF INDEPENDENCE, WHICH LED TO DISRUPTION OF PART OF ZAMBIA'S ECONOMY.
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