EMAIL DETAILS

The National Democratic Institute

invites you to attend a discussion on

“The Zambian 2016 Elections and Conflict Resolution”


Thursday, September 8, 2016

10:00 a.m - 12:00 p.m.

National Democratic Institute

455 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC

8th Floor Board Room


In the August 2016 Zambia general elections, Patriotic Front incumbent
president, Edgar Lungu was pitted against United Party for National
Development opponent, Hakainde Hichilema for the second time in less than
two years in a highly contested presidential poll. Controversies swirled
around the elections as violence and questionable police and government
agencies’ actions marred the pre-election period. The Election Commission
of Zambia declared Lungu the winner by a margin of 50.3 percent to
Hichilema’s 48.6 percent. The competitive nature of this election followed
Lungu’s January 2015 by-election victory, which was decided by a margin of
less than 27,000 votes. The August polls were the first since the adoption
of a constitutional amendment to the electoral code, which requires the
winner to gain more than 50 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff. Lungu
has yet to be sworn into office as the opposition has filed a petition in
the newly established Constitutional Court contesting the result.


This discussion will provide an overview of challenges in the pre- and
post-election periods, and NDI’s programming during the election cycle,
which includes the findings of the Institute’s domestic observation
partner, the Christian Churches Monitoring Group, parallel vote tabulation
efforts and NDI’s support to political party youth that was aimed at
mitigating violence ahead of the election.


Please RSVP online
<https://docs.google.com/a/ndi.org/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZ9SKS1BPYIm7TifbW4huZ5BnbGZuzScMF_40wFGANjyTSLA/viewform>
by September 6

RSVP: https://goo.gl/forms/LHGcO68zxwVSqFoE3

*This event will be off the record


Speakers include:


Traci Cook

NDI Senior Advisor of Southern and East Africa and Zambia Country Director


Keith Jennings

NDI Senior Associate and Regional Director of Southern and East Africa


Martin Luther King III

Human Rights Advocate


Richard Klein

NDI Senior Advisor for Electoral Programs


Pat Merloe

NDI Senior Associate and Director of Electoral Program