The running mate: The case of Madam Wina and GBM
I was surprised it was Mrs Wina for Edgar and could not see how HH would avoid GBM, writes Laura Miti.
Here is my thinking. Mrs Wina, apart from her advanced age which leaves her seeming quite tired, has all the credentials for Veep. She is the incumbent and has, in my view, done a sterling job in that office. I just thought she had had enough though. 5 more years at her age is a lot. I also don’t think she adds any votes to Edgar’s own. So I thought she and Edgar might agree to replace her. Not for failure but for one who had run her race well.
As for GBM!
He is the exact opposite of Bo Inonge. A thug really. Shouldn’t be on anyone’s list for Veep! Thing though is that HH’s choice makes a lot of (political) sense. With his thuggery and grassroots politics (to be read feed the cadre chunks of meat washed down with copious amounts of Shake Shake,) GBM releases HH from the need to dance and insult and eat kandolo in the market – things the people want but which are painfully not him. GBM has the common touch no one can accuse HH of having. Finally our tribal politics! With Edgar choosing a Lozi, HH can expect some Bembas to follow GBM. Sad but true.
In the end then, Edgar chooses a perfect candidate for the job but loses any votes that could be drawn by running mate. HH loses votes from people who cannot get their heads around a man like GBM being so close to the presidency but gains some common man/Bemba votes he would not have seen. Let’s see how it plays out.
Here is what Isaac Mwanza had said about running mate and the reality of this topic on May 22, 2016.
RUNNING MATE AND 2016 ELECTIONS
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position (such as the vice presidential candidate running with a presidential candidate) but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as Barack Obama and Joe Biden were running mates in 2008 and 2012.
Running mates are typically chosen to balance the ticket geographically, ideologically, or personally, as when the staid New Englander John F. Kennedy was matched with the folksy Texan Lyndon B. Johnson in 1960. Or, in 1984, when male Walter Mondale was paired with female Geraldine Ferraro. The object is to create a more widespread appeal for the ticket.
Presidential candidates from smaller states sometimes choose a vice presidential running mate from a state with a large number of electoral votes – as when Walter Mondale of Minnesota (10 votes) selected Geraldine Ferraro of New York (then 36 votes). It is preferred, but not legally required, that the running mate be from a different state from the presidential nominee, because each elector can vote for no more than one candidate from his or her own state. Running mates can also be chosen from swing states in order to boost a candidate’s chance of winning in the state.
Some few weeks ago, we saw Think Tanks from different political parties (esp PF and UPND) analysing how small the Western Province vote is when the Electoral Commission of Zambia announced new numbers on the voters Register. The premise was that Western Province would ordinarily give the vote to UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema while Northern Province, if harnessed well, would also give the vote to President Lungu.
President Lungu has finally picked his running mate from Western Province. My take is that it was easier for him to pick mama Inonge than have the headache of picking any other person. He may also have picked Mama Inonge to balance up or gain the votes he can from Western Province where Government has done a multi million dollar Mongu – Kalabo road. If President Lungu manages to get the Western vote or at least increase his numbers by 20 percent as compared to the last one without dwindling the Northern and Muchinga vote, then he is somehow safe.
Now all eyes are on HH. Realistically, HH is expected to pick his running mate from northern side of our country as we already have candidate from East (Edgar Lungu), West (Inonge Wina), South (Hakainde Hichilema) and now remaining with North. If HH manages to pick a Northern running mate and increases his vote in Northern Province, Copperbelt and Lusaka by at least 15 to 20 percent, he will give a very tough battle to EL and be very safe too.
AND YESTERDAY BEFORE WE KNEW IT WAS GBM I SAID THIS:
Seems no one cared who the running mate for Edith Nawakwi, Peter Sinkamba or Tilyenji Kaunda was but there is so much focus on the running mate for Hakainde Hichilema. Is it because UPND has more than one deserving running mate while other political parties had obvious or none? Who else In PF could have been a running mate among the women apart from Inonge?
I think HH’s running mate should not be narrowed to a woman per se but someone who is able to attract the youth vote but also a Northern vote. This could be Miles Sampa. GBM would be a good running mate but he can only attract the middle class persons and not necessarily the youth vote.
At the end of the day, it’s the Northern vote and the youth vote the UPND must be worried of. And unless contenders or members think it’s possible to have 10 running mates, whoever is chosen must be respected way the PF respected the choice of Inonge Wina, although i think it was an easy decision to make for President Lungu. HH has tough decisions which requires compromise among those who surround him otherwise GBM and Canisius Banda all seem to have indicated they did not join UPND to become Running Mates or Presidents.
Good luck guys. After today, the campaigns get tough on all sides but we hope it will be issue based campaigns. It’s sad on what the nation saw yesterday where PF cadres damaged property at the UPND Secretariat and some people ended up being injured. But what will happen if the UPND does the same to any PF offices? Is that the kind of politics Zambians want to see? No. It made MMD lose elections in 2011 and I don’t think thuggery will help either PF or UPND win an election at all.
NOW WHAT DO I SAY?
I have nothing to add and I maintain these positions. Good luck to UPND, PF, FDD, Green Party, etc. You cried for running mate and we the Zambian people gave it to you. Now we ready to vote on August 11.