it's erection day!

I’m still alive here. Yup, sweating it out in the heat of the dry season.

What’s the occasion that breaks the blog silence? Erections! Errrr I mean eLections

Small aside: Zambians, rike any other culture where Engrish is a second ranguage for many, seem to mix up their ‘ L’ with their ‘R’s. Sometimes, it can be confusing, as in, ‘do you have a lazor brade?’, or ‘ oh, the lain has come early’. Mostly, however, it is extremely amusing, especially today, as Oct 30^th is Election day!

Gutter humour aside ( I know, GROW UP!), it’s true, I’ve been in the thick of election fever. From Canada’s recent secret ballot bonanza ( where the most signficiant outcome was that it was the lowest turnout since confederation), to today in Zambia to the US on the 4^th, 2008 seems to be the year of elections.

The election here in Zambia was unexpected. Near the end of August, Zambia’s President Levy Mwanawasa died of a stroke that he suffered during the AU summit in July.

This time his death was real.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=13&set_id=1&art_id=nw20080703180911345C945113

http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSWEA096120080703

Mwanawasa, though not perfect, or inspiring, certainly provided leadership, when considering the situation in Somalia, in Zimbabwe, in the Congo, in Sudan, that was in a class of its own. http://www.economist.com/world/mideast-africa/displaystory.cfm?STORY_ID=11968403

What's election season like here? Well, mostly serious and i can't help but think how incredible it is that this country, is still rather young in this process with multiparty elections being held just 17 years ago in 1991. Everything is closed today so that people can go and vote. Hop in any cab, or mini bus, and the best conversation starter is So, who are you voting for? People here are all to happy to share with you their viewpoints. ( unlike my mom, who, whenever it comes to elections, always says ' i can't tell you, it's a SECRET'. true enough mom, true enough). People CARE enough to vote.

I was walking down the street on Tuesday and nearly got ran over by a truck overflowing with people honking horns and waving support for Rupiah Banda - a career diplomat who was Mwanawasa’s VP and the current acting president. But it appears that many in Zambia have caught on to Obama’s message of CHANGE and are noting that it is time to vote in another party, after MMD has ruled since 1991 when Chiluba took over from Kaunda. Michael Sata, the leader of the main opposition party Patriotic Front, is his main candidate. In 2006, Sata made a run for office, made Chinese investment an issue and although won support in the urbanized areas along the line of rail, failed to get enough support in the rural areas. This time around though, people seem excited about him, if not for his policies, because at least its different.

The other option for CHANGE is HH, or Hakainde Hichelema, the 46 year old business man who for many, seem to offer best bet against corruption as he is already a highly successful business man, but for most, is ‘still a young chap, lacking experience’.

Among the three however, I can’t really seem to discern the biggest difference between them all. They’re all going to fight corruption, they’re all giving out free seeds and fertlisers, they’re all trying to help Zambia develop.

Whichever one does end up in office, I can only hope that they do provie the leadership that the 12 million people here deserve.

But more to come later. i'm out the door to see that election day in Zambia is all about.