Friday, March 29, 2024

More political parties favour seating party to win elections-Rollens

Share

Elections officers sorting out election materials in Luena constituency.

United States Department of State on Africa Affairs says having more than 15 opposition political parties during the September 20 elections will give maximum impetus to the seating party to win the elections.

Speaking in an interview in Lusaka, US Department of State, Bureau of African Affairs deputy Public Affairs officer Marissa Rollens said the splitting of the opposition will give advantage to the party in power.

Rollens said however that her country is encouraging as many parties as possible to contest in an election for people to make informed decisions especially in rural areas.

She said there is need for political parties to provide factual information instead of gossips as this will promote peace and democracy.

“yes it is easy for either of the two parties(Democrats and Republicans) in America to win an election because people only have two choices and our country has been built on two ideologies which overyone is following”,Rollens said.

“In Zambia opposition political parties have been finding it difficulty to defeat the seating party because of splitting the votes.It was going to be easy for the oppoition to win if they were maybe three or five but sixteen will be hard”,she added.

“As for the party in power, having more opposition political parties will be to its advantage but having more opposition political parties is good for Zambia as you know tenets of democracy allows everyone to participate in an election”,Rollens said

“America is also delighted for what Zambia as a country has achieved since the introduction of multi-partism and she has become a model of democracy in sub-saharan Africa”,she added.

Meanwhile,the US Department of State, Bureau of African Affairs deputy Public Affairs officer has reaffirmed that her country will send indepedent election observers for the September 20 elections.
Merissa Rollens said America will not only be sending election observers to Zambia but also to other countries conducting elections.

“Yes the US embassy is sending aobservers to monitor elections in Zambia. We are not limited to Zambia alone but even in other states to promote democracy”, Rollens said.

“Monitoring of elections promote transparency, consistency and reduces bribery and corruption which is more pronounced during elections especially on the African continent”she said.

“Our embassy will not be the only one to monitor the Zambian elections but also other civil society organisations”,Rollens said.

22 COMMENTS

  1. We should also look at the other side of the coin.T.Kaunda will get his usual votes in Eastern Province while C.Mulipi will get his in Western Province.This will result in MMD having a shortfall of votes in these two strongholds.Remember RB won by just about 30,000 votes.
    Similarly HH will definately share his Southern Province votes with Magande and this will weaken HH’s bid.I will state here that the key provinces in this years election will be North Western and Western Provinces.Once UPND strongholds when Mazoka was alive but taken over by MMD during the last 3 terms.
    I don’t think the MMD will hold these provinces this year.

  2. i think the only potential people to split election are milupi and heritage and perhaps nawakwi. as for upnd they well know that whatever happens this time they will be most likely b the biggest oppositon in 2016.

  3. #4 Independent, with 90 days lies and deception Mr Sata was short of 35,000 votes to sneak into State House. Now the people of Zambia are smarter, wiser and know Mr Sata very well. The Post has not helped him either. A week before the elections of 2006 the Post ran a stinging editorial on Mr Sata’s credentials, they tore him to pieces and gave a catalogue of his character and record. The Post stated in no uncertain terms that if ever Zambians made the mistake of voting for Mr Sata they should not blame anybody for the calamity that would befall the nation, that Mr Sata should not be allowed anywhere near the corridors of power EVER. Nothing has changed about the man. I still have a copy of that 2006 edition of the Post.

  4. And I believe the Post still stand by their word, at least they have not attempted to withdraw their statements about Mr Sata or even apologise as one would do if they thought a person has changed for the better, or if they had misunderstood him. This means that the Post itself does not actually believe in Mr Sata, but he is an important source of their sales revenue (from foolish readers, my words) as Mr Amos Malupenga himself once stated when he was asked why the Post did not report Mr Sata’s PACT partner HH. Quote “……..He doesn’t sell our papers…….we are in the business of making money……”

  5. We only have 3 parts, the rest is just a family part, wife and children. U.S.A do not worry, we have only three recongnised parts, others is just on paper and no voters, Sata for Plot one.
    Banda kuya bebele.

  6. It costs money to stand in an elections and much more so, when you don’t win. The cadres of the losing party don’t get to even smell the bones from the master’s table. That’s the brutality of politics!

  7. KATIE GOOD -Give us a break from yr anti-POST rantings.There are sounding more like a broken record.Get a life!!!!

  8. smaller parties should join together , even in the last election the mmd would have lost if a few parties had gotten together the question is whether these parties can work together as a unit …..every1 has there only political ambitions  

  9. #14 – Amos, dont be dull, #13 – Copperbullet is right, the oposition has lost a big chance to unseat the ruling party. we will never learn to work together…it only hapened in 1991. Anyway, for now no alternative. Hopefuly in the life to come. I honestly see nothing for the oposition this yr. period.

  10. Red Card-abena libala south,

    The simple fact is that the POST has flipflopped on Mr. Sata incredulously. Have you stopped to think of the reason. Your guess is obviously as good as mine.

    I will hazard one anyway. The Zambian Airways saga for a start. Perhaps Mr. Mmembe is aggrieved having perhaps been denied support by the MMD Government in his quest to resurrect Zambia Airways and all the wealth that would have gone his way.

    And so it’s time to settle grudges. And in part this is the problem with Zambian politics. It’s bereft of principles.

  11. u are welcome to monitor our elections..but its important that u also follow the rules and regulations set by our country..Now i9t it very true that the oppositions lack of understanding of the issue of vote splitn has always worked against them..the PACT was a threat but now it has become a blesssing to us in the MMD beacause we have ended up winning alot of votes from the divorce experienced..RB will sail smoothly past the two major opponents and will emerge voctorious…

  12. Zambia is a young democracy. No wonder there are so many parties. It is only a problem in so far as it gifts power to the ruling party. We are on a learning curve and that’s fine. In 20 years time we’ll be down to 5 national parties. Special interest parties effectively pressure groups will emerge and form alliances with national parties that share their interests, We certainly won’t have this many parties.

    It’s nice to hear Zambia is a model for Sub-Saharan Africa.

  13. MMD shall win extra convincingly in Eastern and Central provinces,very convincingly in Western and N/Western provinces,convincingly in Luapula province,will do fairly good in Northern Province,will do better than the previous election in Lusaka,Southern and Copperbelt provinces.So come September,20 th,MMD is carrying the day.Viva RB,viva MMD.

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading