At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Zambia

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Levy MWANAWASA *
• Head of Government: President Levy MWANAWASA
• Assembly: Zambia has a unicameral National Assembly with 150 seats.

* The president is both the chief of state and head of government.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by simple majority vote to serve a 5-year term.
• In the National Assembly, 150 members are elected by simple majority vote in single-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms and 8 members are appointed by the president to serve 5-year terms.

Main Candidates in the Presidential race:

• Levy MWANAWASA
  Party: Movement for Multiparty Democracy ((MMD)
• Michael SATA
  Party: Patriotic Front (PF)
• Hakainde HICHILEMA***
  Party: United Democratic Alliance (UDA)
• Godfrey MIYANDA
  Party: Heritage Party
• Kenny NGONDO
  Party: All People's Congress (APC)

*** The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) brings together three opposition parties: the United Party for National Development (UPND), the United National Independent Party (UNIP), and the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD).

Last Presidential election:

• The last presidential election was held on December 27, 2001. Levy MWANAWASA was elected president with 29% of the vote, and was followed by Anderson MAZOKA 27%, Christon TEMBO 13%, Tilyenji KAUNDA 10%, Godfrey MIYANDA 8%, Benjamin MWILA 5%, and Michael SATA 3%.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 11,502,010 (July 2006 est.)
• Registered Voters: 3,941,229 (August 2006 )