Zambia’s democratic credentials improve

By Staff Reporter

Zambia has been ranked third most democratic country out of the nine which were sliding towards autocratic rule in the world.

According to the 2024 Democracy Report by Varieties Democracy Institute -V-Dem-, Zambia restored levels of democracy by 2023.

Lesotho, the Maldives and Zambia, are the countries that have made progress in halting autocratic rule while Brazil Benin, Bolivia, North Macedonia, Thailand and Tunisia were still at lower levels in 2023.

The Report says Zambia’s autocratic rule started in 2009 and worsened with the election of President EDGAR LUNGU of the Patriotic Front in 2014.

The 2024 Democracy Report states that the EDGAR LUNGU tenure was characterized by severe restrictions on freedoms of expression, the media and assembly.

The report obtained by ZNBC News says this episode galvanized the civil society groups and opposition leaders in uniting to resist Mr. LUNGU’s attempts to make constitutional amendments.

The document further says this resulted in a 2021 electoral victory for then opposition leader HAKAINDE HICHILEMA who has restored Zambia to Liberal Democracy Index levels it had before and returned to electoral democracy with repression largely ceased.

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