Opposition leader Michael Sata of Patriotic Front and Hakainde Hichilema of United Party for National Development parted ways, giving Banda essay opportunity to retain power in Africa’s biggest copper producing country.

Efforts to create an opposition alliance to challenge the incumbent has vanished and the 74-year-old will ride on improved economy. Following the death in office of Levy Mwanawasa, Banda narrowly won over Sata during the ensuing 2008 elections with 41 per cent against 39 percent, with several accusations of official electoral fraud.
Several people were injured in April 2010, after clashes broke out among rival supporters of parliamentary by- election candidates.

Zambian president is elected by plurality vote to serve a five-year term. In the National Assembly, 150 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies to serve five-year terms and eight members are appointed by the president to serve five-year terms. Although Zambia’s general elections since independence from Britain in 1964 have always been peaceful, violent confrontation among candidate supporters have always been witnessed.

The situation has been made more farcical by last year’s money laundering probe against Sata, which raised the political temperatures. The Foundation for Democratic Process criticized the holding of the 2011 election without first having electoral reform. It blamed the history of electoral violence and the failure of the losing parties to accept losing on the lack of reform as well.

Spokesman for the country’s Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) John Nyawali said they recorded statements from the politician involving $100,000 transaction, a charge Sata and his Patriotic Front (PF) party denied. His supporters besieged DEC offices and damaged properties as he was being grilled.

His friend turn foe Edward Mumbi who defected to the ruling Movement for Multi Party Democracy (MMD), said the opposition leader purchased cars for Catholic priests campaigning against the government. The church, under the aegis of Change Life Zambia had called for the removal of the president from office. Their leader Father Frank Bwalya denied the allegations.