ZAMBIA: OPPOSITION CANDIDATE ANDERSON MAZOKA SAYS GOVERNMENT ARE TRYING TO CHEAT HIM OF VICTORY IN PRESIDENTIAL POLLS

Record ID: 646743

  • Title: ZAMBIA: OPPOSITION CANDIDATE ANDERSON MAZOKA SAYS GOVERNMENT ARE TRYING TO CHEAT HIM OF VICTORY IN PRESIDENTIAL POLLS
  • Date: 29th December 2001
  • Summary: (U3) LUSAKA, ZAMBIA (DECEMBER 29, 2001) (REUTERS) 1. VARIOUS OF OPPOSITION CANDIDATE ANDERSON MAZOKA SUPPORTERS CELEBRATING (6 SHOTS) 0.40 2. SV: MAZOKA AND SUPPORTERS ENTERING BUILDING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE 0.45 3. SV: MAZOKA SITTING DOWN 0.58 4. LV/CU: AUDIENCE (2 SHOTS) 1.06 5. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANDERSON MAZOKA, LEADING OPPOSITION CANDIDATE SAYING: "It has become abundantly clear that the ruling party MMD is involved in a very, very rigorous vote-rigging exercise. We would like to warn the MMD that the people of Zambia and the UPND will not accept any items whatsoever on influencing the result of this election other than what the Zambian people want." 1.43 6. VARIOUS OF AUDIENCE (2 SHOTS) 1.54 7. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANDERSON MAZOKA SAYING: "If they go against the Zambian people, the Zambian people are at liberty to use all means at their disposal to defend their rights." 2.07 8. VARIOUS OF AUDIENCE (2 SHOTS) 2.15 9. VARIOUS: PEOPLE WORKING AT COMPUTERS (4 SHOTS) 2.26 10. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) ELECTORAL COMMISSION CHAIRPERSON BOBBY BWALYA SAYING: "The system is rigorous and therefore rigging cannot take place. I think this is merely the politicians fertile imagination to imagine that elections will be rigged under this system. They have all representation in the polling stations and we don't see how elections will be rigged in these circumstances." 2.51 11. SCU: NEWSPAPER HEADLINE 2.55 12. SV: NEWSPAPERS BEING SOLD 3.02 13. VARIOUS OF VOTE COUNTING (4 SHOTS) 3.20 14. MV: PEOPLE WALKING IN STREET 3.27 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 13th January 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LUSAKA, ZAMBIA
  • Country: Zambia
  • Reuters ID: LVABGV3NE7EB3HY0H1HXJOH9EDSH
  • Story Text: Zambian opposition leader Anderson Mazoka has said
    that the government was trying to cheat him of victory in
    presidential polls, and that EU observers had told him he had
    won the election.

    Latest results from the Zambian Electoral Commission,
    for 35 of 150 constituencies, gave 148,225 votes to ruling
    party candidate Levy Mwanawasa, President Frederick Chiluba's
    chosen heir, against 138,273 votes for Mazoka, a wealthy
    businessman.

    Mazoka speaking at a news conference on Saturday (December
    29) said, "It has become abundantly clear that the ruling
    party MMD (Movement for Multiparty Democracy) is involved in a
    very, very rigorous vote-rigging exercise. We would like to
    warn the MMD that the people of Zambia and the UPND (United
    Party for National Development) will not accept any items
    whatsoever on influencing the result of this election other
    than what the Zambian people want."
    He added "If they go against the Zambian people, the
    Zambian people are at liberty to use all means at their
    disposal to defend their rights."
    Mazoka said observers from the European Union had given
    him a 36 percent victory against Mwanawasa's 23 percent. There
    was no immediate comment from the EU team. He said the
    Electoral Commission and Zambia's security forces must prevail
    on the government "to uphold the constitution".

    But an election official Bobby Bwalya said that "The
    system is rigorous and therefore rigging cannot take place. I
    think this is merely the politicians fertile imagination to
    imagine that elections will be rigged under this system."
    adding that all the parties had representatives in the polling
    staions.

    Zambians went to the polls on Thursday (December 27) to
    choose between 11 candidates vying for the presidency in the
    copper-mining southern Africa state. Vote counting has been
    slow due to a heavy turnout, officials said.

    The election was a relatively new experience for Zambians
    who have known just two leaders in their nation's 37 years of
    existence.


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