Friday, March 29, 2024

MMD not Opposed to 50% plus one Threshold, Mulongoti

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Government has dismissed claims that the ruling party MMD, was not in favour of the proposed 50 per cent plus one threshold to win a presidential election.

Chief Government spokesperson Mike Mulongoti, who is also Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, said this in a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today.

Mr. Mulongoti said the MMD was not scared of the proposed provision of the 50 plus one threshold.

He said, in fact, only the MMD has sufficient national support to score a 50 plus one threshold to win presidential elections in Zambia.

Mr. Mulongoti said Government further advises Zambians to read the situation in other countries where this is applicable as it is dangerous to ignore the political developments in those countries.

He said President Mwanawasa would not derive any personal gain from opposing the proposed threshold as he was serving his last term of office.

Mr. Mulongoti also said complaints by some opposition political parties that it had excluded some stakeholders from attending the National Constitution Conference (NCC) were baseless.

He said government has strove to be all-inclusive in constituting the composition of the NCC and therefore insinuations that some key stakeholder have been left out were unjustified.

He said those who chose not to be on the NCC, such as the three church mother bodies and the Non-governmental Organisation Coordinating Council (NGOCC), have only themselves to blame.

Opposition Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata is quoted to have recently said that it would not do for Zambians to have a constitution without addressing the issue of majority vote for a presidential candidate.

And United Party for National Development (UPND) vice president Richard Kapita is alleged to have stated that President Mwanawasa was instilling fear in the MMD members sitting on the NCC.

Mr. Kapita is said to have alleged that it would be difficult for the conference to come up with a formidable constitution because of the same threats.

47 COMMENTS

  1. Levy counsels MMD MPs over dangers of 50%+1

    PRESIDENT Levy Mwanawasa yesterday cautioned MMD members sitting on the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) over the 50 per cent plus one majority presidential vote in view of what is happening in Kenya and Zimbabwe.

  2. Mwaiche Chapi,

    I wonder what school you went to. It is clear that in spite of your addiction to blogs sleeping herein day in and out, you still have learnt the difference in issues.Get it here,caucus views and concerns are not consensus for party communique.The President’s concerns are very much varied. I share such views and fears myself strongly. But still they are not policy positions.Pls understand the process of policy formulation not from a layman position but practical standpoint.To say he objects that, is to say the proposal by PF MPs to include the exclusive clause on age limit is a policy position.Views have a place in a democratic market place.

  3. Mulongoti why are you refusing what Mwanawasa said. Don’t just defend blindly. You will go together with Mwanawasa and work for him at his farms if you just follow blindly whatever he says. You think we do not understand the language used. Are you becoming another Shamuna or Teta.

  4. 50%+ cannot work in Africa. Lets not forget this is a continent riddled with civil wars. Zambia has not been at war since independence, a move like this is threatening to our security. What was wrong with the elections we where having, they worked didn’t they. Don’t support this move, just look at Kenya. It cannot work in Africa. :'(

  5. The proposed 50+1 electoral victory benchmark is very dangerous just like the hypocrisy of saying “regional balancing should be done away with because Zambia has Graduated from the basis of such”. The issues two are very dangers cases to sell to legislatures.I hope we are collectively and vigilantly watching proponents of such arguments. They lack history, insight, National interest and ideas of how and what has kept the 73 plus people harmoniously over the 44 years.Fortunately Zambia has her educated and wise citizens in all regions from which she could tap leadership from.

  6. We have the commitment to transact, transform, inspire and support, the balance remains a panacea to our unitary nation-state building.Only a strongly united people can move from generations of humiliation to modernization and true Glory.Stop misunderstanding Democracy and the fundamentals of our nation- state interest.

  7. Mwaiche Pragmatist
    Since when was there any consesus in your party MMD?I challenge you to give me just a single position that MMD has taken that has been against Levy`s view.
    I would gaurantee that these MMD puppets called MP`s do not have the guts to show any objectivity.
    Why is it that when your friend and partner Shakafuswa insulted women,nobody except Ms Moonga had the guts to speak up for fear of retribution by Levy.
    Do not confuse policy with autocracy.Unless Levy changes his mind,this 50% + 1 has no legs.The MMD MP`s have already grown cold feet.Mark my words….

  8. Yesterday, Gordon Brown was forced to conceded one of the proposals in last year’s budget. He was staring defeat in the face mainly from his own party. His MPs stood their ground and told him they would force a confidence vote, which would have forced him to resign had he lost. I cannot see that happening in MMD. Our politicians have taken self interest to a different level. #6 you need to be honest with yourself at least.

  9. Mwaich Chapi,
    It not about the President’s position here on this issue, but all about national unity and security.I have hinted here that I’m one such strongly opposed to the so called 50+1 baseless clause in a plural setup where not less than 11 parties run.This is not an issue I’m just commenting on here. I have put my words and mind in writing on desks of all legislatures who treasure our peace.I have visited, kept them on emails, and phone engagement as a matter of moral social justice advocacy. Peace is very expensive to restore once broken down. It is easy to experiment and appease a few forces that hope to rape the country, but very hard to mend it the pieces.

  10. The US is a two Party system with containable racial divide issues.The British political system has a handy political parties system with a shortest campaign period of 30 days only. All campaigns are policy based under binding electoral codes. Japan is factionalist system without party platform on policy. It is saved from chaos by its people’s strong values for shintoism and Confucianism besides an effective “Triumvirate”. On the other hand, Zambia has more than 42 parties of which mostly 11 parties are on the ballot run come 2011. Their campaigns are not issue or policy centered but personification, malice, hatred, tribalism & foreign agenda under sponsorship.

  11. Sometimes I wonder whether a Westminster system would not be better for Zambia. It has worked in a lot of third world countries such as India and most of the Caribbean. It stops the situation where elections end up being about two or three presidential candidates, but rather each parliamentary seat is contested vigorously. Perhaps then MPs would be willing to inflict defeat on their leader if they feel that a policy makes their seat vulnerable. Also the election would not be about Sata, HH and LPM only. Sata and HH would also be forced to stand for parliament.

  12. Where policy makers falters, we charge on them with wrath and disdain to reverse their decisions. But on this one we advocate and should broadly and freely advocate that they introspect and do the right thing for motherland. If my views lose on this position, i will salute the proponents and safeguard other issues. That is democracy. Dissent and advocacy are acts of moral leadership.

  13. The Westminster system cannot work holistically in Zambia though some pieces are possible and already integrated in the current setup.

  14. That’s why you folks in the western world have the challenge not to focus on business programs only, but spreading your cast in other useful disciplines of Government and Governance, public policy and political economy of emerging nations, Nation-state building and modernization, Budgets and public taxation.Do such with a commitment to understand how others got there from their dark years of factionalism and warlordism. China and the USA were such factionalist and war-lord territories while Europe was a feudal society. It took learning of their people like China’s Chiang Kai Sheik in Hawaii. Learn what they did on their return home.

  15. (50 + 1)% is fine. Let us just work on a strategy to eliminate time-waster presidential candicates so that we will only have 3 or so people satnding for Republican Presidence.

    Why must a narrow majority lead party form a government?

    Such are symptoms of us always having academic exercise when we should be focusing on science and technology to lead the economic and social strength of our great nation.

  16. It would obviously be folly to copy the Westminster system wholesale. But there seems to be too much power vested in the African president. The system would need to be tweaked a little to adapt it to the Zambian situation. Perhaps we should first see how the President and Prime Minster get on in Kenya. They have adopted the French system where the two leaders share power. We know how power hungry Kabaki is. We will see how this one works.

  17. Recent problems in Kenya and the current ones in Zimbabwe have not been caused by the 50%+1 vote policy. These problems have arisen because in both cases the incumbents refused to recognise the legitimate outcome of the polls. The 50%+1 itself is not a problem. Of course Mwanawasa would not have been president if this were the case in Zambia.

  18. Mwaiche Pragmatist
    I wish to remind you that Zambia currently just has 3 major political parties basing on the 2006 elections.
    MMD= 42.98%
    PF = 29.37%
    UDA= 25.32%
    HP = 1.57%
    APC= 0.76%
    Therefore,your point of us having too many parties of any significance doesn`t hold any water.
    If you`re a student of history,I can`t emphasise enough about how peaceful Zambians are as evidenced by having experienced a change of government without any loss of human life in the 1991 elections.Your worries about national security aren`t therefore substantiable.
    On the other hand encouraging the 50% + 1 makes sense because the the mandate the victorious candidate would enjoy…continued…

  19. cont from #20
    Our currently flawed system can easily accomodate a regional or tribal leader to be elected head of state.For example,a candiate can simply enjoy full support from Northern and Luapula and a few pockets in Lusaka and CB or Western and Southern Provinces and yet get plot one.What mandate does such a leader have?Zambia could not have gained independence if our leaders were regionally minded.We should therefore encourage leaders to command national appeal and that can only be achieved by having the 50% + 1 threshold.

  20. At least i am impressed with the level of contestation and deliberations on the subject of 50 plus 1 from 1-19.Cool headed arguments from fellow Zambians and without any iota of insults. Well done folks and i wish it can be like this in all other issues posted on this blog.Comparing Britain to our situation in terms of what happened yesterday with the labour party on their reversal with the 10% tax issue is actually missing the point.What we need first of all is to get committed and selfless people into govt.Forget about those who are there for names and points; put quality leadership first and not medocrity then we can begin to compare ourselves to others.I have followed the debates from..

  21. Westminister and you really see quality in the manner debates are conducted and with everyone having the interest of the people they represent at their herats.

  22. Adm,
    I wish you could retain this thread through Saturday April 26,2008.I have the commitment to qualify my argument even further against the 50+1 in our prevalent Zambian dispensation. Unfortunately i have a very important paper to finish up for presentation at some African focused deliberation seminar tomorrow i have a slot on.

    Hope others will objectively sustain the thread.

    Good lucky y’all.

  23. 50%+1 means a president can only be duly elected if s/he receives at least 50% of the votes cast. If 3 or more stood and none got at least 50% a re-run is called between the leading 2 contenders. And my opinion is the front-runner in the last election would not necessarily win the re-run! And I think this is really progressive! But I am REALLY lost how this (50%+1) can be linked with violence? Kenya and Zimbabwe…those leaders just didnt respect the people they lead. And Thabo says there is no crisis! Is crisis only when life is lost? And isn’t that happening? On this one Viva Levy!!! Show them leadership.

  24. 50+1 is a must for Zambia.we cant be having minority presidents or else we risk having all tribes having political parties.
    Who said whats happening in Kenya or Zin can happen in Zambia.Why cant you guys be innovative or then being copycats?

  25. #29
    Dont forget this is Africa. 50% + cannot work in AFRICA. It has proven to cause violence and WAR. It cant work in Africa. If Zambia was on another continent then i would support it but just the fact that its in Africa and with Africa’s history on such policies. It cannot work in Africa.

  26. People first past the post as it is now is better. This 50% plus will not work. The opposition in Zambia and the rest of Africa always refuse to accept the results of elections. KK up to now says, he did not lose fairly in 91, I saw a story in the Star this week. Dean did not lose in 96,Mazoka did not lose, Sata did not lose, imagine the confusion, what we should work on is a more transparent elections system. We end up like Kenya, Malawi etc.

  27. Zambia neeeds unity right now & the 50+1 is the answer.You cant have a president who is insecure,it breeds corruption,nepotism & outright thieving.
    With this arrangement pipo will be forced to work togather & co-operate.Even chiefs will not be acting like cadres.

  28. #26, in simple terms, say 10,000 people vote in an election, what would constitute 50%+1 majority is 5000+1 or 5001 votes. for instance in the recent Zimbabwe election scenario,MDC claims to have polled 50.3% against 40% plus for ZANU-PF. That, if at all true, translated to about 11000 votes above 50% of the total votes that were cast and therefore MDC clearly won. Unfortunatley, many people including scholars and politicians alike have missed the grip of this concept. 50+1% is very different from 50%+1. By the way, on this issue, i am still non aligned; just trying to help clarify the crux of the matter

  29. 50+1 is best.It ensures a majority president. Some one who most people voted for.It was silly FTJ’s 3rd term bid that made us lose the good clause. Problem in Africa (kenya+zim) is rigging by sitting govts or losers refusing to accept defeat. Even if there was first past the post in Zim, Mugabe would still have ordered recounting of votes, manipulated the process and “won”. The same way he has politically engineered the electoral process to go for a recount which he shall “Win” (sorry steal). Levy should not be scared of PF because UPND is MMD’s appendage. In case of a run off they would go to bed together. Also it is not right to target opponents using constitutions

  30. 50+1 can work anywhere. The only problem is that we have selfish human beings as presidents. Just because there were fights in kenya and confusions in zimbabwe does not make 50+1 bad. Even if there was simple majority win, there were still going to be fights in kenya and confusions in zimbabwe. It is lack of reasoning to associate what happened in kenya and zimbabwe to 50+1. The problem is Mugabe and Kibaki who want to be presidents at all costs even if they lost not 50+1. it worked well in liberia, it can work elsewhere.

  31. I stand to be corrected on 50%+1 and that it cannot work in Africa.This system worked in Liberia as observed (#36 Mbo)and also in Congo DR. George Weah should have been president of Liberia with a simple majority win. Levy is just growing cold feet in the light of his hand picked successor, whose likelihood of not sailing through is high. It is not the 50%+1 that brings about disturbance. It is actually the individuals in leadership who forment trouble because cannot stomach life outside power. These are the issues (offshoots)that the new constitution need to address seriously.

  32. 50+1 can definitely work in Zambia,i have read the others contributions with interest.Zambia stands at a very good position with this National Corruption oh! sorry Constitutional Conference sitting.There is need to put certain safe guards in the constitution to protect key institutions & government offices such as the office of the chief justice, Electro commission & some investigation wings.The key is the power of removal, if the president can be stripped of these powers, people occupying these offices would rise to the occasion & do Zambia proud.

    I feel institutional reforms is the answer and not fearing 50+1!!!

  33. bloggers and chuchu pliz get this right, the kenyan case was not about 50% plus 1. It was a pure case of who has got the simple majority. In fact the 50% PLUS 1 is not yet in the kenyan constitution.That clause was in the constitution which was rejected in the famous 2005 referendum.

  34. Bloggers you all seem to have good point of views and this is encouraging to our good Zed.keep it up lads, quite educative especially on this topic.

  35. When Levy came to power in his first term, he had about 29% of the votes and the combined opposition had about 71%. He could only be sworn in under a heavy police and army protection as he was an unpopular and minority leader. In his first term of office, he resorted to poaching greedy opposition MPs, created unnecesssary and costly by-elections and destroyed the opposition. This was all in order to buy some popularity. He even went to the extent of selling-out his own kingmaker( though this was a good move). 50%+1 would have ensured that he and Mazoka, the first two, would have gone for a rerun giving Zambians a popular president. The opposition will have remained intact, good for democracy

  36. I wonder when we shall ever convene such conferences the magnitude of NCC but not to discuss constitutional issues/clauses over and over again like has been since 1971. But to discuss dual carriage roads from Chirundu to Chililabombwe, universities in every province, More Hyrdopower stations and coal fired power plants in coal rich Gwembe and luano valley. Decent housing with running water, street lights and drainage. Tar roads linking every districts. Functional local govts, clean markets, cholera free Zambia, functional railway system, local entreprenuership. I AM FRIGHTENED,SICK & TIRED OF THE DIRECTION/PATH THIS COUNTRY HAS BEEN PUT ON BY ITS OWN LAWYERS AND POLITICIANS.

  37. RELAX BONSE BAICE BANDI, CHI LEVY CHACHABE BAICE BANDI. HE WILL LEAVE A VERY GOOD CONSTITUTION I CAN ASSURE YOU AND THE SAME PEOPLE WHOSE POWERS WILL BE REDUCED AS THEY WANT WHEN THEY ARE IN PLOT 1 WILL WANT TO CHANGE THE CONSTITUTION TO STRENGTHEN SATAna IF AT ALL HE WILL BE PRESIDENT. CHI LEVY NINSHIMBI, CHIKASHA CHAKOMA AMAPOWERS KNOWING HE HAS NOTHING TO LOSE. DONT WORRY, LEVY WILL LEAVE A CONSTITUTION THAT SATA WANTS AND SATAna WILL BE ASHAMED AND WISH HE HAD NOT BOYCOTTED.
    GET WELL SATAna SO THAT YOU SEE SENSE IN LEVY. KULIBONESHA TAA SATAna !!!!

  38. 44 you rae right, thats how mistaken Kafupi was only to see that Chi Levy Ninshimbi. HE WILL LOCK THEM BY GIVING THEM THE SAME DOCUMENT THEY WANT.

  39. Ndepola ndeisa, I will not die before I drive the vehicle called Zambia and the Zambians on board. In Bemba we say “Ukupesha lonshi kunya pabili”
    For you people in my party PF, while the cat is away the rats play mwaice wandi Guy Scot, in Bemba we say “Umusunga we Shilu baukomba lilya lipenene”
    Nchili nimpena kuno na Stroke inga naisa fye……. Given Lubinda tell them!!!!!!

  40. #16 I share your view. Some Presidential candidates are time wasters, so are their parties. We need a well defined political direction where political parties are limited to a number. An elimination method can be used based on size of membership. I suggest an introduction of minimum number of members. Finish!!!!!

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