Political Activist Dante Saunders has advised political stakeholders not to make an issue out of this year’s tripartite elections.
Mr. Saunders says the Republican President is privileged by the Republican Constitution to set and announce the date for elections.
He has since urged politicians in the country to concentrate on selling their manifestos to the voters as opposed to debating the election date.
The political activist adds that President Rupiah Banda should not be demonized on the election date as the Constitution mandates him to set the date.
Mr. Saunders further says what politicians should debate about are the unfair reforms that govern the country’s electoral process.
QFM
to some extent i do agree that what this veteran actist has said ppolitacl parties must concentrate on campaigns and focuss on the date. howevre what this man has missed is the abuse of Govt resouces by VP and the ministers. Parliamment must be desolved as soon as possible to avoid further missuse of the very much needed resouces
Mr. Saunders, No one is questioning the constitutional provision that confers power to announce the election date into the president, but the naked abuse of that provision by the president.
consequently, we want the election date to be enshrined in our constitution to avoid abuse and cheap political ambushes. The inclusion will also be good for the sustainance and growth of our young and fragile democracy
Correct – my humble advice to opposition political parties is to concentrate on campaigns and be ready even if elections were called next week. No.2 is also correct – maybe it’s time to enshrine the election date in law? But for the 2011 elections, that lies with the President, so PF and UPND intensify your campaigns to avoid being caught napping …
WITHOUT A DATE, THE OPPOSITION WOULD BLOW THEIR CAMPAIGN BUDGET!!
Right on veteran! Issues affecting our well being and party manifesto’s to help us make informed choices!Â
the behavour of RB over the constitution right to determin the date it has come at right time when we are talking about electoral process and abuse so one of the issues in new constutition will be fixing a date for elections. but i hope is not the same govt continue because when it comes to constitution mmd are let down they dont listen to people’s wishes. it think constitution is more important than this made up project are making noise that we should judge over that.
# 1 and # 2 I agree with you entirely. Mr. Saunders does not see the abuse of resources that is being perpetrated by delaying the announcement of the election date and and by not dissolving cabinet. Does the so called political activist know this. It’s ether he is dull and probably senile or he is part of the abuse and he is benefiting from it. He cannot lecture us about the constituional powers of the president.Most ordinary Zambians know a lot about politics and governance, far more than Saunders and some fake politicians. Mr. Saunders should stop insulting us. His statement is as S.T.U.P.I.D as it is annoying.
Someone at last speaks sense. The opposition calling for election date is like a death-row prisoner at Mukobeko constantly asking the prison to tell him the date he will be hanged. Eat your food when you are still alive mate. You can only lose elections, so what’s the big deal? Chill…
For someone using the name of the mighty Kunta-Kinte your comments are embarrassing. If its no big deal why is your president hiding, lying that logistics is the issue when they are spending money all over the place? It may mean nothing to you that our president is not dissolving parliament so that his cronies may have access to government resources as they campaign and meanwhile ambushing the opposition… It means a lot to some of us so please chill yourself if chilling is all you can think of. Kunta Kinte was not chilled even after they cut off his foot.
Saunders rememberthat zambians have right to information anf yo know the election date . That is not a state secret or anything to be abused . The constitution gives him power to tell and not to  keep people in suspense.:
Its very unfortunate that Mr Sanders can not see the abuse of national resources caused by the unnecessary delay in announcing the date of elections and dissolution of parliament and cabinet. MMD has performed extremely bad in the implementation of democratic best practices.
SAUNDERS IS TALKING RUBBISH ANOTHER FAILED VUVUZELA POLITICIAN
Constitutional provisions of announcing the elections date aside, how can the opposition PF even call for elections when they don’t even have parliamentary candidates? Has the opposition PF reduced the coming election from presidential and general elections to just another futile and insane attempt to put Mr Sata in State House?
Saunders is a real cheapskate, the other month he was solicting for for funds for PF at castle in makeni, now he seems to be protecting RB and his scared date that no amount of development can keep him from worring about.
SAUNDERS IS A FAILED POLITICIAN ,DESPRATELY LOOKING FOR A JOB AND VERY SOON HE WILL BE SEEN WALKING IN HIS PATAPATA IN CHIPATA BEGGIND FOR FOOD .
#9 – In the current Constitution it is the President’s prerogative to announce the election date. Sata and HH are exhibiting desperation by making an issue out of an election date announcement. Instead of concentrating on adopting candidates and being ready for elections they want to make the date an issue knowing full well that they cannot pressure the president because he is operating with Constitutional provisions. Very dull characters.
Another loser looking for the election campaign handout’s. How do you campaign without knowing when the election will be held? Election can be compared to sitting for an exam, you are told the date in advance to make you prepare and plan your time effectively. You can’t go around campaigning blindly with no date in sight. What if you run out of campaign money?
hello, quote the constitution so we can read and debate in the right direction, kwaliba lyonse fye ati constitution fyo fyo fyo, quote the damn article ala
after checking volume 2 of the laws of zed, i conclude that the president has no powers to announce the date of elections unless there is an unwritten law which stipulates that, otherwise, the only lawful thing the presido does is to dissolve national assembly and is silent on who announces the election date though it simply says within 90 days after NA gets dissolved. unless ndebelenga law yama common zedians while there is a law for MMD
It is the duty of the autonomous body called the daft ECZ to conduct elections in zambia and they are supposed to be let alone but as things stand, bwezi will say there is no money and ba mambililma will do nothing
Mweo a Banda, auzyeni tsiku la mavoti. Tundalama tusire a PF.
Fake politics.
The current parliament’s mandate to “run” the affairs of our country expires on 28 September 2011 being the end of its 5 year term. RB or the ECZ will need to announce the election before that date, as after that date he will have no constitutional powers to govern the country. UNLESS he declares war against another country, in which case it might be argued that the country will not be in a position to hold elections!