A Ndola Clergyman has urged the NCC to consider the inclusion of funding political parties with national character to safeguard the nation from political parties forming alliances with foreign organisations threattening national security.
Rabbi Bornface Chisala told ZANIS in Ndola Tuesday morning that for a political parties to qualify for state funding there was need to ensure that they had sufficient paid up members to sponsor a member of parliament in at least five provinces.
He said the mechanism could help in avoiding opposition political parties going on their knees to foreign organisations to solicit for financial help and making pledges of paying back the funds once elected into government.
He said such alliances could keep the nation to ransom by sponsoring organisations and cause the government to work under pressure once elected into office.
The clergyman said once such a mechanism was put in place, it was would enable government to keep in check what the opposition political parties were doing as they would be required to disclose their monies or materials given to them by any interested organisation locally or abroad.
He added that democracy must be supported not just by word of mouth but by deeds that were in agreement with the promotion of good democratic ideals.
Rabbi Chisala said the financial support should be restricted to only those political parties that were duly registered with the Registrar of societies with the government.
He said presidential candidates should be allowed to access State security during campaigns.
Rabbi Chisala said there was also need to factor in the airtime units which should be realistically estimated to cover the communication challenge during the whole campaign period.
He proposed a K1 million per day for contigency so that there was no excuse of the political playing field being uneven.
He was categorical tha the facility should not be extended to members of parliament and ward counmcilors sponsoring politicval parties should take care of such positions.
ZANIS/CN/CMM/ENDS/MM.
Nambala 1!!!!
If not mistaken the proposal is already in draft constituation. All those parties with MPs in parliament should be funded.
First consider how many political parties there should be in the country before you consider funding any, otherwise every Jim and Jack will form one. I will also come up with my ‘crazy party’ you know.
#3
I will be your compaign manager- I need some cash too
I agree with # 3 we need to limit # OF PARTIES TO 2-3 REMEMBER WHEN WE HAD 11 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES THEY WERE ALL REGISTERED! WHO REMEMBERS ONE CHAMA CHAKOMBOKA! AS MUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO AGREE TO THE IDEA IT WIILL BE A DRAIN ON THE ALREADY LIMITED RESOURCES, THE TAX PAYER WILL BE WORKING TO SUSTAIN POLITICIANS, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND IF THE PARTY IN GVT CAN USE PUBLIC RESOURCES FOR CAMPAIGN WHY SHOULD THE OPPOSITION BE DENIED? AFTER ALL THE PARTIES ARE FOR ZAMBIANS AND OPPOSITION MEMBERS ARE TAX PAYERS TOO.
Waste or money, time and oxygen. You not going anywhere in this country
Better to have 2 political parties. If you have three then know that the ruling will always win
I certainly dont agree, there are important needy areas as health, education and agriculture that need the little resources that we have. Let political parties with represantation in Parly fund themselves with the heafty allowances they have just awarded them serves. Who needs political parties that are non-functional anyway?
Is this Rabbi Chisala a PF cadre? Now that they have failed to get into government to plunder the national resources, they want their “tiny” political party funded so that they chew the money. After all some of these so called political parties are not national, they are only found in their president’s (with small p)home Provinces, Lusaka Urban and Copperbelt urban. No rural represantations whatsoever. Come on pipo, what money from national cofers do they need?
#3, You are right. We should avoid a situation where parties are just mushrooming as it is the case with churches – every Jim and Jill is a pastor with their own church. It is not wise.