THE Business Monitor International Limited (BMI) has predicted that President Banda will easily win this year’s elections as a reward for his government’s recent economic achievements and says grassroots support for the MMD remains strong.
And the organisation says the turbulent past of opposition Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata is likely to prove to be his liability in the polls, and that his national support has fallen since 2008.
The reputable global research organisation, involved in economic, political and social research across the world, has made the predictions in its review of southern Africa for August 2011.
“Programmes to facilitate the use of fertilisers and high-quality seeds have helped to generate two record maize harvests in the past two seasons – an achievement that cannot be overstated in the largely rural country,” the BMI says.
“The government’s efforts promise to increase formal employment, diversify the economy, broaden the tax base and lower poverty levels and we believe that the electorate will reward (President) Banda and his MMD party at the polls,” the organisation says.
It says clearly, grassroots support for the MMD has remained strong because of Government’s progressive programmes aimed at benefitting ordinary citizens and reducing poverty.
The BMI reports that because of the increase in the number of beneficiaries of subsidised farm inputs under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) from 500,000 to 890,000 small-scale farmers in the last farming season, the country has witnessed increased participation in food-based agriculture.
“The scheme (FISP) has seen agricultural production soar and this year’s maize harvest is expected to reach over three million tonnes, an improvement on the record 2.8 million tonnes last year.
“The improvements will help stave off food insecurity plaguing other parts of Africa,” the organisation says.
It also notes a huge increase in the number of registered voters from 3.9 million in 2006 to 5.2 million this year, which it attributes to a rising generation of constituents just reaching voting age and increased voter enthusiasm.
On Mr Sata, the BMI says although the PF leader has campaigned aggressively in Western Province lately, he remains a controversial figure who has often expressed admiration for an unpopular president of an African country.
The BMI also says Mr Sata’s anti-foreign sentiment in populist appeals threaten to undermine Zambia’s impressive growth story.
“While recent comments have sought to attract more moderate voters, Sata’s turbulent past will likely prove to be a liability, and his national support has likely fallen since 2008,” it says.
“The MMD has demonstrated that it is still a force to reckon with in local elections, where it has won 62 of 110 wards (compared with United Party for National Development’s 24 and the PF’s 22),” the BMI report says.
It adds that the bickering between the PF and the UPND following the demise of their electoral pact has damaged both opposition parties’ chances.
The BMI was founded in 1984 by Richard Londesborough and Jonathan Feroze, the company’s joint chief executive officers, and is based in Blackfriars, London, with foreign offices in New York and Singapore.
It has customers in more than 140 countries worldwide and has provided reliable analyses, data and forecasts to businesses, banks, financial services companies, governments, academia and research centres.
It was awarded the ‘Queen’s Award for Export Achievement’ in 1997.
The positive prediction comes hot on the heels of the assessment by the International Monetary Fund of the country’s economic programme as “robust and broad-based”, and its reclassification as a lower middle-income country by the World Bank, both in a space of one month.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
So, is Rupiah one of the BMI clients? Let the psychological warfare begin!
This is an open secret, all objective thinking Zambian know that Sata can not win this year’s elections. He has lost 3 times and this year his political career is coming to an end.
cross eyed baboons
the BMI report was published in March this year,why has it taken ZNBC 4 months to report on this? alot has happened since March,and the reliability of this report could be questioned.It is as though it the report is being made at the same time with the IMF analysis which is wrong to imply that.Read the report,it sounds like an opinion than a researched analysis.
I take it this should be the “kantemba Business International”, edited from the Kantemba desk at state house which chilu a.k.a FTJ left in operation!!!
# 4, there is another report which was released on the 19th of this month.
thanx i’ll check it out.
The factors that influence the voting tendencies in Africa are completely different from the West. this report is as useless as the news paper that reported this. People don’t care about the economic indicators. All they see is people in power enriching themselves. Everyone deserves a share of the pie.
Zambia will have a new govt this year. The people will decide that and not someone’s predictions.
Donchi kubeba.
NEVER underestimate people power…………………stay on the ground and you’ll know the truth. I rest my case
Dear bloggers, please note that wether or not we like it, CHANGE HAS COME. Even the Shushushus have acknowledged this.If alabi resists change, he will go the Ivory Cost way
This is Dickson Jere with his usual rubbish. We now all know that ZNBC news is written at the Ministry of Information and then taken to Jere for editing
Now iwe chi RuBBish ufisanji ‘election date’ mambala, if he knows that he is winning.
We hope that BMI have enough votes for RB…
any sensible zambian can see that RB is carryn the day in this years elections..there is very little the opposition can do about this..it now goes beyond just mere opinions..it is now FACT…ba PF na UPND..its been a nice run but its time realised that its a NO CONTEST
Who is this fat man in the photo?
good news but sad news for PF..UPND & MMD will emerge stronger after these polls..hahaha
Someone.. please explain what exactly they expect from the PF? I am not affiliated with any political party, but it seems to me..supporters of the PF have been seduced by Sata’s populist rhetoric. If i were to vote (and i have no intention of doing so), I would go with the incumbant MMD. As an economy, we are one of the best performing in Africa… so I am not sure what good people expect from changing parties. As far as intelligence, I think HH would be the best candidate… but all in all.. I would rather stick with the way things are going…unless someone can give me some good reasons to vote PF
once a winner, always a winner. once a kabova, alwayz a kabova, once a loser always aloser!
VIVA MMD! wina azlila.
Let those who have ears hear. RB is Nafuti Nafuti
THIS YEAR NI H.H,,CHABEE,,VIVA UPND VIVA H.H 2011 STATEHOUSE.
The report will vote for RB. Wise Zambians will vote for PF and Sata in this years elections. Mwaba over ba mambala. will shall arrest you with your useless Reverand. This year its KANINYELA not KANITUNDILA. KUYA BEBELE
As usual PF supporters in denial. That is why they talk of rigging and going they Ivory Coast way. Sorry, we Zambians who will be in the majority will not allow you. Lenshina tried she failed. Mushala tried he failed and now who ever will try will fail. One Zambia One Nation. Long leave democracy in Zambia.
hallucinations as usual.i keep asking were mmd will get votes since in 2008 rb was riding on the name of LPM.now he is left with dola who is doing a good job annoying people.now mangani masebo chitala mulongoti and a lot others are gone.stop fooling the old man that he is winning things are not good on the ground.
Why would Zambians change a government which has lifted them from the shame of perpertually begging for food from donors? Indeed when many other countries in Africa are experiencing food shortages, famine, escalating food prices, in Zambia we have consecutive bumper harvests and stable food prices. Come on PF, give us just one sensible reason why Zambians would want to change such a government, especially to replace it with hot air balloons like PF.
The only chance for president Sata to become President was in 2008 when he stood against a nonentity then, Vice President Rupiah Banda. However, the strategy of lies and deception, combined with a murky past (BMI politely call it a “turbulent past”) has cost Mr Sata dearly. The tragedy is that he has not changed one little bit while President Rupiah Banda has been enriching his CV with massive achievements. To his negative record Mr Sata has added gay rights and the lack of a heart for departed souls (when Zambians turned out in droves to mourn FJT, Mr Sata????). So if Zambians rejected Mr Sata when he stood against a then nonentity in 2008, we can only ask the magnitude of rejection in 2011, and not whether or not he will lose.
the source of the piece of news is questionable. zambia daily mail haaaaaaaaaa!
RB IS OLD TO CONTINUE MISLEADING OUR COUNTRY IN THIS ERA,,THIS YEAR KI HAKAINDE HICHILEMA FELAA,,VOTE H.H 2011
VIVA HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.2011
Ala mwi la bwepwa!!!THIS IS HOW NEWS OF THE WORLD WENT DOWN. Just becoz someone lists an address in london, doesn’t exclude them from being PAID LIARS HIRED BY ONE RBish – Give us for example their analysis of GFC(Global Financial Crisis) i.e if they have ever heard of it – ANYWAY, KUYA BEBELE BA KAPOLI!!!! NI pa BWATTTTTTTTTOOOOO Fye!!!!
Ubwato, nga kuwina nganililya RB talasalapuka, not now, you are damn dead completely, and see hw this Govt is working, tamumfwa nsoni? You perpetual Lossers!
RB CHABEE…………………………NA MMD OYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
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