General elections were held in
Zambia
Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...
on 27 October 1983. At the time, the country was a
one-party state
A one-party state, single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a governance structure in which only a single political party controls the ruling system. In a one-party state, all opposition parties are either outlawed or en ...
, with the
United National Independence Party
The United National Independence Party (UNIP) is a political party in Zambia. It governed the country from 1964 to 1991 under the socialist President (government title), presidency of Kenneth Kaunda, and was the sole legal party in the country ...
(UNIP) as the only legally permitted party. Its leader,
Kenneth Kaunda
Kenneth Kaunda (28 April 1924 – 17 June 2021), also known as KK, was a Zambian politician who served as the first president of Zambia from 1964 to 1991. He was at the forefront of the struggle for independence from Northern Rhodesia, British ...
was automatically re-elected for a fifth term as
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
, and was confirmed in office with over 95% of the vote. UNIP also won all 125 seats in the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
. Voter turnout was around 63% in the parliamentary election,
[ but 65.5% in the presidential election.][Nohlen, D, Krennerich, M & Thibaut, B (1999) ''Elections in Africa: A data handbook'', p954 ]
Campaign
Prior to the elections, primary elections
Primary elections or primaries are elections held to determine which candidates will run in an upcoming general election. In a partisan primary, a political party selects a candidate. Depending on the state and/or party, there may be an "open pri ...
were held to elect candidates for the 125 constituencies. Only UNIP members could vote in the primaries, and the top three candidates would be able to stand for the National Assembly election.[Zambia: 1973 and 1978 one-party elections]
EISA In total, 812 people stood for election to the National Assembly, with 46 rejected by the UNIP central committee.[Zambia 1978]
Inter-Parliamentary Union
Results
President
Kaunda was the sole candidate for president, and voters voted yes or no to his candidacy. Some sources reported the results to be 93% for and 7% against.
African Elections Database
National Assembly
See also
* List of members of the National Assembly of Zambia (1983–88)
References
{{Zambian elections
Zambia
Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
Parliamentary elections in Zambia
One-party elections
Presidential elections in Zambia
Election and referendum articles with incomplete results