Opinion: Why I Will Vote HH By Lanky Observer Zambia is exactly 29 days away from a crucial Presidential by-election, necessitated by the death of President Michael Chilufya Sata, after a long illness. As would be expected, several Presidential hopefuls have offered themselves for the job, and have since gone on the campaign trail. With respect to all aspirants, this election, it would appear, will only be seriously contested by two candidates: Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu – a lawyer and candidate of the ruling Patriotic Front, and Mr. Hakainde Hichilema – a businessman and President of Zambia’s second largest opposition political party – the United Party for National Development. In this piece, this writer outlines the reasons he prefers Mr. Hakainde Hichilema for the Republican Presidency, and attempts to make a case for his countrymen and women to consider joining him too. 1. A Proven Economic Managerial Track Record Zambia’s biggest challenges, in this writer’s humble view, are economic ones. In a way, most of our other major social challenges largely stem from a poorly managed, yet potentially vibrant economy. Poor health, sanitation and education infrastructure are symptoms, rather than causes, of a poor economy. We cannot have good hospitals with a poor economy. We cannot have great social amenities with a poor economy. We cannot build great schools with a poor economy. It is this writer’s considered view, in light of that, that top of our list of priorities should be to find leadership that will get our economy working well again, leadership that is well-versed in the intricacies of economic management – and Mr. Hakainde Hichilema fits that bill far better than anyone else offering themselves for the leadership of our 14 million-plus population. Hichilema, 52, graduated from the University of Zambia with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Economics and Business Administration in 1986, before going on to obtain his MBA in Finance and Business Strategy form the United Kingdom’s University of Birmingham. Upon returning to Zambia, Mr. Hichilema worked his way up the corporate ladder. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Coopers and Lybrand in 1994 at the tender age of 32, leading the firm for the next 4 years, before it changed names to Grant Thornton – with Mr. Hichilema retaining his position as CEO for a further 8 years. HH, as he is affectionately called, has held several directorships over the years, most notably with the Zambia Investment Board, Seedco Zambia, African Life Financial Services (Z) Limited, Bermuda Limited, and West Lake Investments (Mauritius). Further, he has chaired the Sun International board, as well as the Greenbelt Fertilisers, Media Trust Fund and Export Development Programme boards, among others. Mr. Hichilema brings with him a wealth of experience in this regard, and is unmatched by any of the other contestants. 2. A Manifesto Anchored On Neo-liberal Policies. The United Party for National Development’s manifesto strongly espouses Neo-liberalism. This writer is an unapologetic capitalist, and believes in free market enterprise as the best economic vehicle known to mankind, to achieve sustainable development. Zambia’s economy nearly ground to a halt during First Republican President Kenneth Kaunda’s socialist 27-year long hold on power. In 1991, the Movement for Multi-party Democracy eschewed socialism for red-in-tooth-and-claw capitalism – to evidently improved results. The Patriotic Front, which assumed power in 2011, however, rode a wave of populist socialist demagoguery, and went on achieve frightening reverses on the economic gains made under the preceding government. The UPND manifesto offers us a return to the tried and tested methods that turned our country’s economic fortunes around to begin with. In it, the UPND explains how it intends to encourage free trade, reduce red-tape and bureaucracy, as well as support the role of the private sector in enhancing economic development. Comparative to the policies proffered by the other parties, this writer is confident the UPND’s vision is the most clearly outlined. 3. National Unity. Quite often, we focus so much on economics that we forget the practicality of them in the absence of peace and national unity. Zambia cannot be said to be a united country in a political sense at present, with infighting and power struggles among our major political players the order of the day. The ruling Patriotic Front takes the blue ribbon, much to the embarrassment of the entire country before the world. Zambia has won international praise and admiration for its tranquility, hospitality, and friendly investment climate. If this is to continue, and it should, we must elect mature and disciplined leadership to public office. The UPND, under Mr. Hichilema’s leadership, has made an exceptional account of themselves before, during and after the death of the late Republican President. While the other contestants have spent copious amounts of time in courtrooms fighting each other, Mr. Hichilema has made clarion calls for restraint, levelheadedness and peace not only among political leaders, but across the entire country. 4. The Implications Of Another Term Of Office For The Patriotic Front. The ruling PF, in this writer’s view, has been an unmitigated disaster in the last 3 years. We have seen less fiscal prudence, less clarity of thought, less coherent planning and certainly less consistent implementation of government policy than we have seen since 1991. Investor confidence cannot be said have increased, while the cost of basic commodities has sky-rocketed. National debt has shot through the roof, with little sign of abating soon. We have seen incessant borrowing, with little to no explanation of the intended debt repayment plan or framework. Our currency, the Kwacha, has significantly depreciated against major currencies – thereby increasing the cost of doing business, consequently hurting Small and Medium Enterprises – the most vulnerable players in our economy. This cannot be good for our country. Should we make the mistake of handing power back to the PF, all this and a lot more, is likely to continue. We have a great opportunity to arrest this slide by voting in leadership that will inspire confidence. 5. Posterity When all is said and done, what sort of country do you want to leave the next generation? On January 20, 2015, get your voter’s card and put your ink on the United Party for National Development’s Hakainde Hichilema’s portrait on that ballot paper, for President of Zambia. Our country deserves better. P.S: This writer is not a politician. He does not hold membership with any political party but reserves his right to vote and support politicians he deems fit of the lofty privilege that is serving the masses. This article first appeared on the blog Your African Son. The author tweets at @LankyObserver. zambiareports/2014/12/22/opinion-will-vote-hh/
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 18:28:31 +0000
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