Elections

I don’t know if any of you were aware that we had election this week in Zambia. With all the dismal power struggles that seem to scoure this continent …here is a happy story (thus far). Michael Sata ousted Rupiah Banda this week. That’s right, a party turn over and no major conflict. It was an interesting experience though. We actually stayed out of the capital and thought we would be safe coming home two days after the elections. We came home to an eerie, deserted city. The roads were empty, no shops were open and it was Thursday. Election results finally came in that night at midnight they announced that after twenty years in power, a new party would be taking over. We awoke to what sounded like gunshot but apparently were celebratory firecrackers. The next two days were just a non-stop party with people driving up and down the Great East Road (the major road running just two blocks from our house) honking their horns, yelling “Sata, Sata, Sata” and “Power to the PF (Patriotic Front)”. It has been a little nuts and I will be happy when Sata gets to work and the party is over. Poor Sata has promised a turn around of the country in 90 days so he certainly has plenty of work to do.