Elections during Colonial Rule
Introduction
The objective of writing this article is to share knowledge with those who are passionate about Zambian elections.
In this, I outline the foundation of elections in the country, from the advent of colonial rule in 1924 to 1964. The article points out the early institutions of government, namely the Executive Council, the Legislative Council and the Judiciary from which key electoral practices emerged over the years. It adumbrates how race, gender and personal economic status dominated elections and reflects on the methodical ways in which legislation was continuously changed to accommodate social values of the times.
Setting the Stage
Northern Rhodesia became a British colony in 1924 with Herbert Stanley as the inaugural Governor. The Government actualised colonisation by enacting the Northern Rhodesia Order in Council of 1924, which was the Constitution of the land. The Order in Council established institutions of government, namely, the:
- Executive Council,
- Legislative Council, and the,
- Judiciary.
The Executive Council
The Executive Council, an equivalent of the modern Cabinet, assisted the Governor in the day to day administration of the territory. It comprised the Governor as President, the Chief Secretary to the Government, the Attorney General, the Treasurer, and the Secretary for Native Affairs as well as the Principal Medical Officer.
At the apex of the Executive Council was the Governor, who was appointed by the British monarch and served as commander in chief of the armed forces at the pleasure of the appointing authority. Among other duties, the Governor;
- appointed all public officers including Judges,
- defined provincial and district boundaries,
- alienated land, and,
- exercised prerogative of mercy.
Although the Order in Council directed the Governor to protect the interests of natives, particularly to ensure that they were not deprived of their land, natives lost most of the fertile land along the line of rail to white settler.
Judiciary
In addition to the Executive Council, the Order in Council also established a High Court, Magistrate Courts and Native Courts for the administration of justice in the territory. Native Courts administered customary laws among Africans.
Legislative Council
Further, the Northern Rhodesia Order in Council put in place a Legislative Council which was the law making organ of the Government. The Legislative Council formed the backbone of the Zambian electoral system which, over the years, transformed into the current electoral framework.
The Legislative Council comprised of;
- the Governor as President,
- five ex-officio members of the Executive Council,
- four nominated members, and,
- five elected members (Members of Parliament).
From 1926, the elected members served for a term of three years, until 1948 when it was increased to five years. Notably, the Governor dubbed as President of both the Executive Council and Legislative Council and enjoyed unfettered powers, without regard to the doctrine of separation of powers. The scenario was however changed in 1948 when the title of Speaker was introduced to head the Legislative Council.
To be continued………
Eric Mataba Kamwi
January, 2024