We have 3 Zambias, Not 73 Tribes

Regional voting is what makes democracy work. And it leads to strange bedfellows.

For example — Canada: Quebec voting similarly to Alberta for entirely different reasons, aligned only by their perennial threats to secession.
Quebec is ethnically French. Alberta is ethnically British.

This is the same kind of voting alliance you see between the U.S. states of New York and California.
And for Zambia: North Western, Southern, and Western Provinces — the initial mastermind.

Ignoring this fact makes Zambian political elites, in their educated ignorance, call for national reconciliation after every election.
“Let us do this in the interest of National Unity,” they say.

What unity?
The most political fragmentation is from the North and the East, where every village has an aspiring presidential candidate who, to prove “we are united,” demands to be acknowledged as “President of so-and-so Party.”

That is not unity. That is division amplified.

When you look on the red side of Zambia, even with the most distinct of tribes and ethnicities, you have one predominant party and one head.

If national reconciliation is needed, it is for those who amassed an impressive number of zeroes.
If you are not paying attention you could think someone got a billion votes in a country of only 20 million.
But after you put on your reading glasses you realize it is 1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0 — all belonging to people named Chanda, Chola, Tembo, Jere, Banda, etc.

However strange as this may look and sound, it is what makes democracy work: freedom of expression and assembly.
And in the Zambian case, what is creating inflation — actually an overblown sentiment of discontent.

You have press being given to all these “Presidents” with zero votes. What are they representing?

Then you have those who dreamt up an alliance or a Tonse in the 11th hour, motivated only by the fact that “the other guy” doesn’t win. That is the only common denominator.

Then you have voters — or just keyboard warriors — from Region A to Region B calling for a “reset.”
What reset?

If there is any reset needed, it is individual growth. Not one person insisting the only way this all works is if we agree with their point of view of “reset.”

Why should Zambia become you?

I think we should just step back.