View source for 2006 General election

{{Infobox election
| country = Zambia
| previous_election = 2001 Zambian general election
| previous_year = 2001
| next_election = 2008 Zambian presidential election
| next_year = 2008
| election_date = 28 September 2006
| module = {{Infobox election
| embed = yes
| election_name = Presidential election
| type = presidential
| turnout = 70.77%
| image_size = 130x130px
| image1 = Levy Mwanawasa.jpg
| nominee1 = '''[[Levy Mwanawasa]]'''
| party1 = Movement for Multi-Party Democracy
| popular_vote1 = '''1,177,846'''
| percentage1 = '''42.98%'''
| image2 = Michael Sata 2013 (cropped).jpg
| nominee2 = [[Michael Sata]]
| party2 = Patriotic Front (Zambia)
| popular_vote2 = 804,748
| percentage2 = 29.37%
| image3 = Hakainde Hichilema 2014.jpg
| nominee3 = {{nowrap|[[Hakainde Hichilema]]}}
| popular_vote3 = 693,772
| percentage3 = 25.32%
| party3 = United Democratic Alliance (Zambia)
| title = President
| before_election = [[Levy Mwanawasa]]
| before_party = Movement for Multi-Party Democracy
| after_election = [[Levy Mwanawasa]]
| after_party = Movement for Multi-Party Democracy
| map_image = 2006 Zambia Presidential Election Results by Constituency.svg
}}}}

The 2006 General elections were held on 28 September 2006 to elect a [[President of Zambia|President]], members of the [[National Assembly of Zambia|National Assembly]] and local government councillors. The result was a victory for the ruling [[Movement for Multi-Party Democracy]], which won 75 of the 150 National Assembly seats and whose candidate, [[Levy Mwanawasa]], won the presidential vote. [[Voter turnout]] was just over 70%.<ref>[http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/zam2006resultsp.htm Zambia: 2006 Presidential elections results] EISA</ref>

==Campaign==
During the campaign, [[Patriotic Front (Zambia)|Patriotic Front]] leader [[Michael Sata]] was strongly critical of [[People's Republic of China|Chinese]] investment in the country and suggested that he would recognize the [[Republic of China]] (Taiwan).<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/24/AR2006092400915.html Zambian Hopeful Takes a Swing at China] The Washington Post, 25 September 2006</ref> One opinion poll in September gave Sata a considerable lead over Mwanawasa, 52% to 27%, with [[Hakainde Hichilema]] in third place at 20%, but Mwanawasa questioned these results. Another poll earlier in the month gave Mwanawasa the lead with 33% to Sata's 24%, although this marked a drop from the 45% reported for Mwanawasa by a previous poll in August, and an increase for Sata, who had been at 15%.<ref>[https://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/zambian-president-trails-challenger-in-poll-292991 Zambian president trails challenger in poll] Reuters, 9 September 2006</ref>

Former president [[Kenneth Kaunda]] backed Hichilema and expressed disapproval for Sata.<ref>[http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=qw1158154200812B251 Kaunda endorses opposition candidate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070313141428/http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=qw1158154200812B251 |date=2007-03-13 }} AFP, 13 September 2006</ref> Former president [[Frederick Chiluba]] urged people to vote for Sata.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5355394.stm Vote out president, Chiluba says] BBC News, 18 September 2006.</ref>

The possibility was raised that Sata could be disqualified from the election for allegedly giving a false declaration of assets in August; he had claimed that a former minister in Mwanawasa's government owed him $100,000.<ref>[http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=84&art_id=qw1158317460703B251 Lawyers reject prosecution of Zambia's Sata] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061007121155/http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=84&art_id=qw1158317460703B251 |date=2006-10-07 }} DPA, 15 September 2006</ref>

==Results==
The winner of the presidential elections was determined in one round according to the [[first-past-the-post]] system. Initial results from the election gave Sata the lead, but further results put Mwanawasa in first place and pushed Sata into third place.<ref>[http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-10-01-voa20.cfm Zambian President Takes Election Lead, Opposition Claims Irregularities] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061011121049/http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-10-01-voa20.cfm |date=2006-10-11 }}, VOA News, 1 October 2006</ref> Interim results released after votes from 120 of 150 constituencies were counted put Mwanawasa on just over 42% of the vote; Hakainda Hichilema had 28%; and Michael Sata had slipped to 27%. When opposition supporters heard that Sata had slipped from first to third place, riots erupted in Lusaka.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5396884.stm Zambia vote count sparks violence] BBC News, 1 October 2006</ref> According to interim results Mwanawasa still held an easy lead in constituencies counted up to 16:00 on 1 October.

Late in the afternoon of 2 October, the Zambian Electoral Commission announced that Mwanawasa had officially won the election with 43% of the vote; Sata took second place with 29% and Hichilema took third place with 25%.<ref name="BBC">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/5400840.stm Poll victory for Zambia president] BBC News, 2 October 2006</ref> He was sworn in for another term on 3 October.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/03/AR2006100301013.html Mwanawasa Sworn in As Zambia President] Associated Press, 3 October 2006</ref>

The total electorate was 3,941,229 and 2,789,114 votes were cast of which 48,936 were spoilt. Voter turnout was 70.77%.

===President===
{{Election results
|cand1=[[Levy Mwanawasa]]|party1=[[Movement for Multi-Party Democracy]]|votes1=1177846
|cand2=[[Michael Sata]]|party2=[[Patriotic Front (Zambia)|Patriotic Front]]|votes2=804748
|cand3=[[Hakainde Hichilema]]|party3=[[United Democratic Alliance (Zambia)|United Democratic Alliance]]|votes3=693772
|cand4=[[Godfrey Miyanda]]|party4=[[Heritage Party (Zambia)|Heritage Party]]|votes4=42891
|cand5=Winwright Ngondo|party5=All Peoples' Congress Party|votes5=20921
|invalid=48936
|electorate=3941229
|source=[https://eisa.org.za/wep/zam2006resultsp.htm EISA]
}}

===National Assembly===
The elections in [[Lupososhi]] (19,230 registered voters) and [[Kabompo East]] (16,148) were postponed due to the death of candidates.<ref>[http://www.elections.org.zm/media/parliamentary_results_2006.pdf 2006 parliamentary election results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417040936/http://www.elections.org.zm/media/parliamentary_results_2006.pdf |date=2018-04-17 }} ECZ</ref> Both seats were won by the MMD when the delayed elections were held.<ref>[http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2359_06.htm Zambia: National Assembly: Elections held in 2006] Inter-Parliamentary Union</ref>

{{Election results
|party1=[[Movement for Multi-Party Democracy]]|votes1=1059526|seats1=72|sc1=+3
|party2=[[Patriotic Front (Zambia)|Patriotic Front]]|votes2=622864|seats2=43|sc2=+42
|party3=[[United Democratic Alliance (Zambia)|United Democratic Alliance]]|votes3=610608|seats3=26|sc3=–48
|party4=[[United Liberal Party (Zambia)|United Liberal Party]]|votes4=65745|seats4=3|sc4=New
|party5=[[Heritage Party (Zambia)|Heritage Party]]|votes5=34872|seats5=0|sc5=–4
|party6=[[National Democratic Focus]]|votes6=28805|seats6=1|sc6=0
|party7=All Peoples' Congress Party|votes7=19991|seats7=0|sc7=New
|party8=Reform Party|votes8=7349|seats8=0|sc8=New
|party9=Party for Unity, Democracy and Development|votes9=3914|seats9=0|sc9=New
|party10=New Generation Party|votes10=1259|seats10=0|sc10=New
|party11=[[Zambia Democratic Congress]]|votes11=475|seats11=0|sc11=–
|party12=Federal Democratic Party|votes12=300|seats12=0|sc12=New
|party13=Direct Democracy Movement|votes13=271|seats13=0|sc13=New
|party14=Independents|votes14=257186|seats14=3|sc14=+2
|row15=Vacant|seats15=2|sc15=–
|row16=Presidential appointees|seats16=8|sc16=0
|row17=Appointed speaker|seats17=1|sc17=0
|invalid=68195
|total_sc=0
|electorate=3905851
|source=[https://web.archive.org/web/20180417040936/http://www.elections.org.zm/media/parliamentary_results_2006.pdf ECZ]
}}

==See also==
*[[List of members of the National Assembly of Zambia (2006–11)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/focusonafrica/news/cluster/2006/09/060911_zambia_elex.shtml Zambia Votes 2006] BBC News

{{Zambian elections}}

[[Category:2006 in Zambia|General]]
[[Category:Parliamentary elections in Zambia]]
[[Category:2006 elections in Zambia]]
[[Category:Presidential elections in Zambia]]
[[Category:September 2006 in Zambia]]