By Milimo Moyo in New York City, USA

The announcement was made at about 23:00 hours, Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States of America. He had achieved a stunning 333 electoral votes and counting by press time. It was the much anticipated yet spectacular conclusion to what had began as a very promising electoral race. By early evening on November 4, 2008, it was clear to people watching live coverage of the U.S. election results in New York City, that Senator Barack Obama would win the 2008 U.S. election. At 21:30, ABC News announced that Obama had won the milestone state of Ohio. It was one more significant win in addition to the ones that had been announced in the evening such as Pennsylvania, Vermont, New York, Connecticut, California and several others for the democratic candidate.

In New York City, some major news channels, CNN, Fox News and NBC had set up outdoor election-watch parties in Times Square, at the News Corp building and Rockefeller Plaza respectively. Giant screens were erected to enable passers-by to follow live coverage of the most transformational election that this country had ever seen. I went to each of these sites and the mood was electric, the excitement palpable and the applause, deafening. I was overwhelmed to be part of this important moment in history. Thousands of people of different races, ages and nationalities all gathered around to be part of an important historical event. For the first time ever, an African-American would be sworn in as U.S president on January 20, 2009. As news channels announced Obama’s Ohio win, thousands of people could be heard applauding in New York as they watched the live elections’ coverage.

“Barack Obama has changed the face of American politics forever,” declared Frank Wilson, of New York. “I cannot believe that I am here in this moment in history, this is America at its best”.

Unlike Zambia that follows the simple majority rule, the President of the United States is elected by the Electoral College and not directly by the population. Each state is assigned electoral votes based on the number of senators and representatives that state has in Congress. Each state has two Senators. The number of representatives is determined by the states population but is never less then 1. Thus small states with a small population are overly represented in the Electoral College. One candidate wins all of the electoral votes in all states except Maine and Nebraska. Their two electors are chosen by statewide popular vote and a single elector is chosen in each Congressional district. A presidential candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win the presidency. At press time, not all votes had been counted but Obama had passed the 270 mark by far. Next month, the electoral votes will be counted and finalized prior to inauguration day slated for January 20, 2009.

The impressive margin by which Obama has won the U.S. Presidency is testimony to the sheer phenomenon of the man himself. Aside from his compelling personal qualities that transcend racial, geographical and generation differences, Obama has conducted an effective grassroots campaign that has extensively utilized the internet and his community organizing experience to draw millions of Americans to his side. In a campaign that has seen him assailed by negative ads and insults from opponents, Obama has stayed above the fray, choosing to focus on the issues facing Americans rather than draw opponents into the squabbles that had become a common feature of American politics. For many people Obama’s level-headed approach, particularly amid the current U.S. economic meltdown, was the main reason why they voted for him as President.

His election proves to America and the world especially that this great country has chosen to look beyond racial and other divisions.There is every reason to celebrate the Obama Presidency – it is indeed a watershed moment in America and the world. May this provide hope to disadvantaged and marginalized people that all things are possible if you can believe it.

A cross section of Zambians have sharply condemned the Patriotic Front supporter woman who on Saturday, November 1 stripped on Independence Avenue in Lusaka’s Kamwala area in protest against the election results which indicated that MMD had taken the lead from opposition PF.

Bishop Bwanali Phiri of World Baptist Evangelist Association has said it is taboo for anyone, man or women, to expose their nakedness for whatever reason.

Bishop Phiri said in Lusaka today that Zambia is Christian nation which subscribes to high moral standards.

Bishop Phiri condemned the Women Movement for keeping quiet over the incidence as they should have been in the forefront denouncing such behavior.

And Kabwe-based citizen Richard Chella said the publication of the photograph of the woman by the Post Newspaper should be condemned by all citizens because it depicts irresponsible journalism.

Mr. Chella said responsible Journalism should be practiced by all media houses in the country.

A Ndola citizen has advised Zambia’s fourth Republican President Rupiah Banda to tackle poverty at three major levels.

Mr Humphrey Ngulube told ZANIS Ndola in an interview, Tuesday, that Mr Banda must tackle poverty in urban, rural areas and people’s consciousness.

He explained that Mr Banda’s administration must also tackle the issue of poverty of the mind which he said most Zambians had as most believed poverty was part of their livelihood.

He said there was need for the president to provide decent education by building more primary, secondary and tertiary education institutions so that more people could be equipped with skills they could use to improve their lives.

Mr. Ngulube further suggested that the President must address the issue of poverty in cities and towns by providing decent jobs, housing, food, water and medical care to all.

He said that in rural areas the President must make the areas attractive so as  to decongest urban areas.

He advised that rural areas could be made attractive by providing them with good road infrastructure, education facilities and decent health facilities.

Meanwhile, Mr Ngulube has advised opposition political parties to accept the fact that the country can only have one president at once.
He said the opposition should learn to attend to the needs of the rural population on daily basis if they were to win the 2011 elections.

He observed that people in rural areas could not accept the opposition if they only see them during the campaign period.

A Patriotic Front (PF) official in Kafue district has charged that it will be a share waste of time and resources to drag the MMD to court over the election results because the ruling party will still find ways of manipulating the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) in their favour.

Kafue District Patriotic Front Information and Publicity Secretary Anthony Kasuba said that his party on several occasions had lodged complaints to the ECZ over the misconduct by the ruling party in Chipata and the commission did nothing to re address the situation.

Mr. Kasuba said the PF will not embrace the message of reconciliation from Mr. Rupiah Banda because MMD is corrupt and believes in malpractices. He said that it was shocking to hear that Mr. Banda won the elections when in 108 constituencies the PF leader Mr. Michael Sata was leading and Haikainde also led in 17 Constituencies in Southern Province.

Mr. Kasuba however, charged that Mr. Sata would still win the 2011 general elections because the PF will come up with a strategy in rural areas to ensure that the election results are not tempered with. He added that there is no way the MMD could win elections in rural areas where people have no food to eat, roads are bad, there are no proper medical facilities and most of the youths are unemployed.

Mr. Kasuba also advised the newly elected President Mr. Rupiah Bwezani Banda not to include FDD President Edith Nawakwi, ULP President Sakwiba Sikota and UNIP President Tireyenji Kaunda in his new cabinet because they are a let down to the young democracy of the nation and are job seekers whom Zambians cannot entrust with leadership anymore.

He said in 2011 these leaders will be a laughingstock to Zambians if they stand on political platforms to speak against the ruling party. He said this is the end of Nawakwi, Sakwiba and Kaunda because they have no principles.

Mr. Kasuba further refuted that the Patriotic Front does not exist in rural areas, because this time the party had reached some far remote areas where the MMD does not exist and people there were saying they would vote for Magande.

But FDD Provincial Publicity Secretary James Musemuna said that the Patriotic Front will never govern this country because it believes in politics of character assassination. He said the FDD top leadership resolved to support Mr. Rupiah Banda for the sake of peace and continuity.

Mr. Musemuna charged that this is the end of the Patriotic Front because the party depends on one man Mr. Michael Sata. He added that the FDD is a democratic party and will very soon go for a convention to choose new leaders.

Mr. Musemuna appealed to Mr. Michael Sata to accept the results since the presidential by-election period is now over and it is time to fulfill the promises which were made during the elections.

ENDS/BS/PK/ZANIS.

The kwacha has made a dramatic comeback with a strong appreciation following the inauguration of President, Rupiah Banda.Before the election day the kwacha depreciated to trade at about K4,800 to one US dollar.

But the latest exchange rate report issued by the Zambia National Commercial Bank shows that the kwacha is now trading at K3,850 to one US dollar.This represents an appreciation of about 20 percent.

And Local Economist Chibamba Kanyama said the performance of the kwacha is a sign of the level of confidence investors have in the leadership of President Banda.

And Commerce Permanent Secretary,Davidson Chilipamushi, said the Kwacha will regain its stability now that the uncertainity created by the Presidential election is over.In the first quarter of the year, the Kwacha was trading at K3100 to $1.

Meanwhile foreign analysts are hailing the election of Rupiah Banda as potentially good news for mining companies like First Quantum Minerals Ltd. and Equinox Minerals Ltd. Like Mr. Mwanawasa, Mr.Banda  is strongly in favour of foreign investment in the copperbelt.

But one difference from his predecessor investors are happy with is  he appears to be opposed to the higher mining taxes that Zambia introduced this year. While he has said publicly that he will follow the policies of Mr. Mwanawasa, there is some hope for investors that he will make the punitive windfall profits tax less costly.

“It appears that the onerous tax rates enacted into legislation in Zambia earlier this year are likely to be significantly watered down. And this should enable the country’s copper producers to regain a stable economic footing,” TD Newcrest analyst Greg Barnes wrote in a note to clients.

Mr. Barnes calculated that the current windfall tax could top 70% at higher copper prices. But if it is reduced to a flat 25% tax above US$2.50 a pound copper, then it would decline to between 45% and 50%. At current copper prices, the windfall tax is irrelevant because prices are too low.

Mr. Banda barely beat out opposition party leader Michael Sata for the presidency. RBC Capital Markets analyst Cailey Barker considers this a “lucky escape,” as Mr. Sata was looking to enforce 25% local ownership in mining projects (though this was unlikely to get pushed through because of opposition in the copperbelt). Mr. Sata is contesting the vote and that may drag out the current proceedings.

First Quantum’s Kansanshi mine was the only one in Zambia that paid the windfall tax in the second quarter. Equinox’s Lumwana mine is going into production by the end of the year, but the company has a development agreement that it says will exclude it from the tax.
ZNBC/Nationpost.com

The Patriotic Front  has written to the electoral commission demanding a verification of the results of last week’s presidential elections. The Patriotic Front is  seeking a recount in 78 of Zambia’s 150 constituencies, saying the tallies should be verified by independent monitors and party agents, party spokesman Given Lubinda said.

We hope the recount and verification can be done soon,”he said.

Mr. Sata however said,”Knowing how corrupt the Electoral commission are, I do not think we are going to get much from them.That is why we now want to involve the courts of law.

He claimed that the number of votes announced in one district was higher than the total population of that district.

Mr Rupiah Banda won  40% of the 1.79 million votes cast on Thursday versus 38% for Sata, according to final results released by Zambia’s electoral commission.

The margin of victory was 35,209 votes. However the PF say the poll was marked by discrepancies between vote tallies and the number of voters on registration lists.Mr Sata led through two days of counting before Banda overtook him in results late on Saturday.

Mr Rupiah Banda was rapidly sworn in on Sunday.The swearing-in ceremony was held just two hours after election officials said he had won by 40.1% to Mr Sata’s 38.1%.

The United Party for National Development (UPND) will not petition the election results despite citing a number of electoral malpractices by some parties that participated in the election adding that the petition is a waste of time.

Party president Hakainde Hichilema says the party will now concentrate on providing alternative leadership by formulating policies that can help address challenges the country is faced with.

Mr. Hichilema said his party will also continue to prepare for the 2011 presidential and parliamentary elections.

He described the just-ended presidential polls as the most competitive and exciting elections the country has ever had.

Mr. Hichilima has also thanked Zambians for voting peacefully in the tightly contested polls in which MMD’s presidential candidate Rupiah Banda emerged winner.

He has however expressed concern about the low voter turn out which was attributed to voter apathy among registered voters.

Speaking during a media briefing the opposition party leader also commended the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) for facilitating the October 30 polls professionally despite the pressure on the commission.

He has however called upon government to consider funding ECZ to enable the commission continue carrying out voter registration throughout the country.

He said this will help increase voter turn out once the country is holding an election and ensure a majority vote.

And Mr. Hichilema has disclosed that his party has written to the ECZ on alleged malpractices in the just-ended presidential by election.

And UPND vice president Richard Kapita said the just ended presidential elections provided an opportunity for the party to market its presidential candidate for the 2011 polls.

He said the party has resolved maintain the candidature of Mr. Hichilema because he has become more popular in the country.

ZANIS/CM/AM/ENDS