[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 142 (Saturday, August 7, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S6011]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 ZAMBIA

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I rise to discuss Zambia's upcoming 
elections and the erosion of democracy under President Edgar Lungu. On 
August 12, the people of Zambia will go to the polls to elect their 
President and members of the National Assembly. They will do so under 
the cloud of growing authoritarianism, with troops in the streets, 
protesters in prison, and dissenting voices muzzled by censorship. 
Indeed, many Zambians have good reason to be dissatisfied with their 
present government and, in a free and fair vote, might very well reject 
President Lungu's bid for reelection. But I fear they may not have that 
opportunity.
  For nearly 30 years, Zambians have enjoyed a relatively free and open 
political environment. In 1991, Zambia's founding father Kenneth Kaunda 
lost the country's first multiparty election in decades and gracefully 
stepped aside after 27 years in power. President Kaunda died in June of 
this year, at the age of 97, with a complicated legacy; he was a 
liberator, but also held an iron grip on power for nearly three 
decades. However, his final act of public service paved the way for 
democracy to take root in his country in the years that followed. 
Sadly, President Lungu is erasing that monumental contribution to the 
Zambian people.
  Since President Lungu's rise to power in 2014, he has used the organs 
of the state to intimidate his political opponents and consolidate 
power for his Patriotic Front--PF--party. Freedom House rates Zambia as 
only ``partly free,'' citing laws and government actions which have had 
the effect of restricting the activities of opposition parties, 
limiting civil society participation, and curbing free expression. 
Similarly, the U.S. Department of State, in its 2020 Country Reports on 
Human Rights Practices, noted ``significant human rights issues'' in 
Zambia, particularly in the area of elections and political 
participation.
   In March, the Zambian political analyst Dr. Sishuwa Sishuwa 
published an essay in which he warned that ``Zambia may burn after the 
August elections.'' He wrote that the public's distrust of Zambia's 
institutions and the ruthless competition between its political elites 
had contributed to a climate of fear and anger that could plunge the 
country into chaos. The subversion of the independence of the courts 
and other public institutions has led to a lack of confidence. Credible 
allegations of corruption and impunity have been made against leaders. 
A collapsing economy, mismanaged by President Lungu to the point of 
defaulting on its foreign loans, has resulted in mass youth 
unemployment and rising inequality. Dr. Sishuwa also noted Western 
countries' declining assistance to Zambia and their silence on its 
democratic backsliding. He painted a vivid image of a once-peaceful and 
prosperous country on the brink of calamity. According to the Committee 
to Protect Journalists, Zambian police began investigating Dr. Sishuwa 
for sedition shortly after the essay's publication.
  Indeed, political violence has already arrived on the streets of 
Zambia. Fighting between supporters of the PF and the opposition United 
Party for National Development--UPND--left at least two people dead 
last week. Troops have been mobilized to restore order, but Zambian 
security forces have also been accused of using deadly force against 
peaceful protesters.
  The United States has a clear interest in ensuring that Zambia 
remains a free and stable country. We have provided approximately $500 
million in assistance to Zambiaa every year. At a time of increasing 
instability in Southern Africa, with unrest in South Africa and 
Eswatini, crackdowns in Zimbabwe, a brutal insurgency in Mozambique, 
and the rampant spread of COVID-19, the region cannot afford Zambia's 
collapse. We know that instability anywhere has a rippling effect that 
impacts U.S. interests and our allies.
  Moreover, Zambia presents a test for the Biden administration's 
commitment to promoting and protecting democracy abroad. I encourage 
the administration to more address Zambia's democratic backsliding. I 
hope that is corrected before elections commence. We should be clear 
with President Lungu that the United States does not tolerate 
authoritarianism and that the generosity of the American people is not 
without limits. The United States should increase support for Zambian 
civil-society and democracy and governance programming in Zambia. 
Finally, the Biden administration can demonstrate its commitment to the 
bilateral relationship by nominating a skilled and experienced diplomat 
to serve as ambassador to Zambia.
  While the United States stands with the Zambian people, ultimately, 
responsibility for Zambia's democratic decline lies squarely with 
President Lungu and his government. In the short term, President Lungu 
must commit to holding free and fair elections on August 12 and ensure 
transparency in the process by permitting election monitors to observe 
the vote without restrictions. He must also publicly commit to accept 
the outcome of the election, and step aside should he lose. Regardless 
of the outcome, the PF, UPND, and all other parties must work together 
to restore the integrity and independence of public institutions, end 
impunity for state violence, and address corruption. They must do this 
by partnering with civil society, restoring freedom of the press, and 
respecting civil liberties. They must accept that dissent and protest 
are not a threat to their power, but rather proof of a healthy polity.
  This will be a long and difficult process which will test the courage 
and patriotism of Zambia's elites. Next week's elections may be the 
first step towards Zambia's renewal or else the next step towards its 
ruin. Perhaps President Lung can take inspiration from Kenneth Kendal's 
final act of leadership and put his country before his own political 
interests.

                          ____________________