An Evaluation of the Management of Electoral Conflicts in Zambia: A Case Study of Lusaka District Conflict Management Committees

This study is an evaluation of the effectiveness of the management of electoral conflicts
in Zambia by the Conflict Management Committees (CMCs) in Lusaka. The objectives
of this study were to determine how the Lusaka CMCs managed electoral conflicts; to
assess the capacity of the Lusaka CMCs in the management of electoral conflicts and to
establish strategies of improving the performance of the CMCs in the management of
electoral conflicts. The Frustration-Aggression theory by Dollard and others guided this
study. A qualitative descriptive research design was employed in this study. The study
found that the strategy used by CMCs in resolving electoral conflicts was mediation.
Lack of a legal framework was cited as a major setback in the management of the
phenomena and in the enforcement of the Electoral Act. To this effect, the study has
established strategies of improving the performance of CMCs. The strategies are:
introducing electoral fast track courts, increasing educational awareness activities,
increasing access to CMCs and importantly, strengthen the legal mandate. Based on the
findings, the study recommended to ECZ among other things that a legal framework be
attached to support the operations of CMCs and that political parties should address
electoral violence.