7 Key Takeaways: Cost of Politics
7 Key Takeaways: Cost of Politics
Population: 19.47 million
Head of Government: President Hakainde Hichilema
Ruling party/coalition: United Parry for National Development
Last election: 2021
Next election: 2026
Number of registered voters: 7.02 million (2021)
Annual salary of member of legislature: $45,400
Year of study: 2021
In 2021 the average campaign cost was 568,000 ZMW (31,300 USD), with the average cost for candidates winning more than 20% of the vote higher at 990,000 ZMW (54,500 USD).
There are significant differences in campaign spending between parties. Candidates from the Patriotic Front and United Party for National Development on average spent 165% more on their parliamentary campaigns than those not belonging to these two leading parties.
The strong two-party system in Zambia is reinforced by their virtual monopoly on wealthy candidates with the capacity to self-fund expensive campaigns. Smaller parties are unlikely to grow under such hegemony.
Campaigns are mostly self-funded. The average candidate financed 55% of their campaign with their own resources, with the share of self-funding higher for candidates with larger budgets.
While the high costs of politics are likely to be a major impediment to women candidates and reduce their propensity to run, we do not find that women candidates spend less than their male counterparts.
60% of candidates stated that they ended up spending more in the election campaign than they had anticipated. Nevertheless, 54% stated that they would attempt to spend even more if they were to run again.
Corruption is both an explanation to and a consequence of costly election campaigns. The high reliance on private resources in campaigns means that elected politicians in Zambia seek to enrich themselves while in office to finance ongoing demands and future campaigns.
Population: 19.47 million
Head of Government: President Hakainde Hichilema
Ruling party/coalition: United Parry for National Development
Last election: 2021
Next election: 2026
Number of registered voters: 7.02 million (2021)
Annual salary of member of legislature: $45,400
Year of study: 2021
Key Findings
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Election campaigns
- The average losing candidate spent ZMW 425,000 (23,400 USD), whereas the average winning candidate spent 763,000 ZMW (42,000 USD). Given the observational nature of the data, it is not possible to prove a causal relationship between the amount spent in campaigns and the probability of winning. However it is possible that candidates with higher probability of winning are more motivated to spend.
- Of the five main areas of expenditure outlined by respondents two account for around half of the average outlay; organising rallies or campaign tours and branded campaign materials.
- Candidates from the major parties do not relax their spending after winning party nominations. The logic of campaigning in highly clientelistic environments still prescribes that candidates spend lavishly to project status, generosity, and a sense of authority.
- The average female candidate spent 644,000 ZMW (33,000 USD) compared to 546,000 ZMW (30,100 USD) for the average male.
Raise the funds
- Parties are interested in selecting candidates with the capacity to finance the lion’s share of their own political campaign. In many cases, candidates were asked not only to display this capacity through lavish selection campaigns, but also by submitting financial statements to the national selection committee.
- The average candidate financed 55% of the campaign through personal resources. The second largest finance source is party contributions. The average candidate received 28% of their campaign budget from their party. Other notable sources of funding are contributions from friends and family (11%) and business contributions (3%).
- The average PF candidate – the ruling party during the 2021 election campaign - received on average 503,000 ZMW (27,000 USD), about three times as much as candidates from any other party from “well-wishers”.
Cost of politics drivers
- In the absence of effective state service provision, especially in rural Zambia, citizens often rely on MPs to promote both personal and communal development needs. Surveyed candidates indicate that citizens often prioritise clientelistic functions of MPs over legislative and executive oversight functions.
- Parliamentary campaigns in Zambia are held concurrently with the presidential race and parties rely on their parliamentary candidates to foot much of the costs of local election campaign. Strong parliamentary campaigns enhance a party’s position not only in parliamentary contests, but also boosts the party’s visibility in presidential elections.
- The unregulated and opaque nature of business financing in parliamentary campaigns in Zambia has inflated campaigns costs.
- The lack of effective regulation means that candidates can spend an unlimited amount of money in campaigns and receive contributions from anonymous sources without any restrictions or accountability.
Conclusions and recommendations
- Zambian campaigns are highly reliant on self-funding. As a consequence, the current system will continue to produce a highly unrepresentative parliament in terms of class, gender, and age.
- Effective state funding of political parties could reduce the reliance on wealthy candidates for financing campaigns and prompt parties to prioritise locally popular candidates over those with the most impressive financial muscles. Enhancing the quality and diversity of representation in Zambia in the process.
- Procedures need to be put in place to effectively monitor campaign expenditure in line with existing legal requirements at the constituency level in a non-partisan manner.
- More civic education efforts are needed to sensitise voters about the perils of vote buying and the need for issue-based politics.
