Elections as a human right

Abstract

Elections are a human rights concern emanating from a persons right to vote .All over the world elections have become an organised method of peaceful democratic transition and indeed represents the principal institutionalized channel of peaceful participation jn forming and changing governments. Even at the International level elections are seen as a human rights concern and the right to vote is well entrenched in International human rights law. However, the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of Zambia does not expressly provide for the right to vote. The meaning of this failure to expressly provide for elections in the Constitution of Zambia could be that they are not perceived as an inalienable human right in Zambia. Therefore it is necessary to ascertain the hypothesis of elections as a human right. Doing so will also lead to the assessment of what can be done so as to ensure that the right to vote is considered an inalienable human right in the Zambian context. Furthermore in addressing this omission it is also imperative to identify the factors that lead to the hindrance of elections and how this in turn affects the enjoyment of other fundamental rights, which are of additional importance for election purposes and at the same time are also enshrined in the Constitution of Zambia. Worthy of individual mention in this regard are the freedoms of conscience, expression, assembly and association.