By PETER SICHALI
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu is likely win the August 2021 presidential election, the Africa Report has indicated.
The report says President Lungu will negotiate a solution to the debt crisis with the IMF prior to the election because there is no other option.
“The IMF mission to the country is re-engaged and, following a likely non-disclosure agreement with the External Bondholder Committee, will be able to help forge a path to a solution that should work for the country, IMF and the bondholders and this will be a solution to help the country’s economy,” The Report says.
The report also indicates a COVID-19 vaccine will help the global economy at some level by August next year.
The Africa Report has indicated that United Party for National Development president Hakainde Hichilema will find it hard to find traction if this is the storyline.
The next elections will be the sixth time Mr Hichilema will be losing the presidential election.
Mr Hichilema recently told the local media that the August 2021 elections will be his last attempt.
According to the report Mr Hichilema was the business-friendly candidate in 2016 who campaigned on fixing the then struggling economy.
It says Mr Hichilema carried significant momentum into 2016 election due to low commodity prices in 2016, especially for copper, battered the economy and was coupled with continuous power outages and insufficient tax revenue collection but could not overcome current President Edgar Lungu’s network on the ground.
“Low commodity prices in 2016, especially for copper, battered the economy and was coupled with continuous power outages and insufficient tax revenue collection. Hichilema thus carried significant momentum into the election but could not overcome current President Edgar Lungu’s network on the ground. Not much has changed since 2016 except now the country has defaulted on its sovereign debt,” The Africa Report said.
The report indicates that Zambia could benefit from an election with a clearly mandated winner with no election irregularities and no riots.
“Zambia will want to avoid a repeat of 2016 where political riots resulted in more than 300 people being arrested and Hichilema having his petition on the elections at the constitutional court rejected due to a technicality. Afterwards, he was also arrested for treason,” it states.
