Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07LUSAKA1253
2007-11-08 13:28:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Lusaka
Cable title:  

ZAMBIA - POLITICAL ROUNDUP

Tags:  PGOV ZA 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1547
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHLS #1253/01 3121328
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 081328Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5131
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP PRIORITY 0047
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LUSAKA 001253 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV ZA
SUBJECT: ZAMBIA - POLITICAL ROUNDUP

REF: A. LUSAKA 1225

B. LUSAKA 1052

C. LUSAKA 1019

D. LUSAKA 936

E. LUSAKA 887

LUSAKA 00001253 001.2 OF 002


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LUSAKA 001253

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV ZA
SUBJECT: ZAMBIA - POLITICAL ROUNDUP

REF: A. LUSAKA 1225

B. LUSAKA 1052

C. LUSAKA 1019

D. LUSAKA 936

E. LUSAKA 887

LUSAKA 00001253 001.2 OF 002



1. This cable is sensitive but unclassified, please handle
accordingly.


2. Summary
-- Civil Society and GRZ Consult on NGO Bill
-- National Constitutional Conference to Meet in December
-- November 8 By-Elections
-- Sata Slammed as Hired Gun for Taiwan
-- Tourism-related bills make their way through Parliament

--------------
Civil Society and GRZ Consult on NGO Bill
--------------


3. (SBU) Led by the NGO Coordinating Council, civil society
organizations met on November 6 to consult on the NGO Bill.
The GRZ pulled the bill in late August following protests by
civil society and coordinating partners (refs D and E) that
the bill gave the GRZ too much regulatory power and imposed
unreasonable reporting requirements. According to press
reports, Minister of Justice George Kunda opened the meeting
with a speech in which he said that "Unregulated civil
society in any country can be a danger to peace and
maintenance of law and order." The press also reported
Kunda's remarks that some civil society organizations
worldwide were known to be conduits for terrorist financing
and engaging in money laundering activities, while others
were known to receive funds from dubious entities such as
"homosexual organizations" (note: in 1998 there was a huge
scandal when an international donor announced funding for a
homosexual support group). A Department for International
Development (DFID, the UK's aid organization) rep who
attended the meeting said that civil society was
well-organized and presented concrete comments on the text of
the draft bill. The NGOCC is now taking the lead on
producing a report of the meeting with detailed
recommendations for improving the bill. The GRZ plans to
resubmit the bill to Parliament, but will probably not be
able to do so before the end of the current session of
Parliament at the beginning of December.

--------------
NCC to Meet in December
--------------


4. (SBU) The GRZ has announced that the National
Constitutional Conference (NCC) will begin sitting in early
December after the current session of Parliament adjourns,
according to press reports and donor contacts. Civil society
participation is still not finalized. Four of the five

members of civil society umbrella group the Oasis Forum are
maintaining their boycott; these include the Evangelical
Fellowship of Zambia, the Zambia Episcopal Conference, the
Council of Churches of Zambia and a gender-based umbrella
group. The membership of the fifth Oasis Forum member, the
Law Association of Zambia (LAZ),voted to participate in the
NCC. LAZ member and Women and Law in Southern Africa
regional chair Matrine Chuulu told Poloff that the LAZ
preferred to see in what direction the NCC would go and was
prepared to vote with its feet if it was not satisfied.
Walking out from within was a more powerful statement than a
total boycott, according to Chuulu.

--------------
November 8 By-Elections
--------------


5. (U) By-elections are being held on November 8 for a seat
in the National Assembly and ten municipal ward seats. The
National Assembly opening in the Nchanga district of the
Copperbelt province resulted from the defection of a former
Patriotic Front MP Charles Chimumbwa to the ruling Movement
for Multiparty Democracy (note: the Zambian constitution
requires a by-election in cases where a member of parliament
switches parties). Among the municipal ward openings, two in
Lusaka are interesting as they resulted from the forced
expulsion from the PF of former Lusaka mayor Susan Nakazwe
and a colleague, who both defied party president Michael
Sata's orders and met Chinese President Hu Jintao at the
airport in March. The MMD brings a lot of material
incentives to bear on by-elections and is expected to win in
all three races. However, MMD National Assembly candidate
Charles Chimumbwa appeared in court on November 6 to face
charges that he committed fraud in a business deal involving
the sale of copper cathodes (sheets of raw copper used in

LUSAKA 00001253 002.2 OF 002


finished products),and this may affect his chances.
Hakainde Hichilema, President of the United Party for
National Development (UPND) has also put in a lot of campaign
effort for this by-election, though that may be more of an
effort to boost his name recognition in preparation for 2011
president elections in a region where his party is not
traditionally strong.

--------------
Sata Slammed as Hired Gun for Taiwan
--------------


6. (U) Blowback on opposition Patriotic Front (PF) President
Michael Sata's self-proclaimed crusade against China (ref A)
continues, with Information Minister Mike Mulongoti calling
on November 1 for the police to investigate Sata's
solicitation of USD 50,000 from the Taiwanese government on
the grounds that organizations must have the written
permission of the President to accept any assistance from a
foreign government. Meanwhile, at a November 2 ceremony to
honor the first anniversary of the Beijing Sino-Africa
Summit, Chinese ambassador to Zambia Li Qiangmin charged that
Sata was a "hired gun" who is blinded by lust for money. The
independent Post newspaper has published several stories
casting serious doubt on Sata's story that his passport was
stolen in London by a Chinese hotel employee, and has run a
series of strongly worded op-eds condemning Sata's greed and
opportunism. Sata has fought back, saying that he doesn't
need the Post and telling voters at a campaign rally
appearance that he is a hired gun for Zambia and that he
would stand with poor Zambians while the Chinese come to
steal Zambia's wealth.

-------------- --
Tourism Bills Make Their Way Through Parliament
-------------- --


7. (U) Zambia's National Assembly opened for business on
October 30 after a two-month recess. First on the agenda are
two tourism-related bills. The Tourism and Hospitality Act
of 2007 represents the GRZ's effort to boost regulation and
standards in the tourism industry and to cut bureaucracy for
tourism operators. Specifically, the bill creates a
"one-stop shop" for all tourism-related licenses within the
Ministry for Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources,
mandates that hotel managers must have a degree or diploma in
hotel management, and creates a Tourism Development Fund for
tourism product development, tourism marketing and research
and training. The bill also requires permits for any and all
renovations structures and provides for an extensive appeal
process should any party oppose a permit. Tourism operators
complain of insufficient consultation on the bill and fear
that the called-for streamlining will only create more
bureaucracy. Despite this opposition, the bill is expected
to pass before the end of the week. A related bill, the
Zambia National Tourism Board (ZNTB) Act, is also expected to
pass. The bill will take away licensing responsibilities
from the government-funded ZNTB and changes the ZNTB's
mandate to focus exclusively on marketing. In the past the
ZNTB had a dual marketing and development mandate.
MARTINEZ