The impending parliamentary and local government by-elections in some seats held by MMD must be condemned by every well meaning citizen as this won’t only be a nuisance but a sheer drain on our young economy. If I may be precise; to encourage by elections at a time when the country is still grappling with a myriad of socio-economic woes would be outright immoral and an affront to the majority of poor citizens!
The plight of one Jackson Mwape would perhaps suffice to illustrate my view. Mr. Mwape recently wrote a moving letter to one of the daily newspapers. Unless your heart is made out of stone, you would easily be moved to tears! In his letter,Mr. Mwape cried that he retired as a teacher on September 12, 2011 but hasn’t yet received the package he is entitled to. According to him,government still owes him K25, 124, 659.83 and K23, 367, 603.58 in arrears and leave terminal benefits respectively. Mr. Mwape concludes his letter by wondering when we as citizens shall have more money in our pockets so that we can execute our plans effectively. How many more people out there, especially in the rural areas, are trapped in such a dilemma?
[pullquote] if development can only come to a constituency if one belongs to a ruling party, then it’s as good as doing away with multi party politics[/pullquote]
PF secretary general Wynter Kabimba who is also Justice Minister insists that “democracy is expensive” while his counterpart at the Ministry of Information Kennedy Sakeni observes that there’s nothing wrong for serving MMD MPs or councillors to resign from their party and join PF because the constitution guarantees them the right to freedom of association. What sort of leaders are these? Are they not aware that there are still hundreds of retirees out there such as Mr. Mwape wallowing in poverty while their money remains stuck in government coffers?
Yes, democracy may be costly as Mr. Kabimba wants us to believe but some costs such as by-elections arising from unnecessary defections can be avoided. Why can’t we learn from countries such as South Africa whereby they go into what they call a “window period” after holding elections?During this time, MPs are at liberty to decide whether they want to remain with parties that sponsored them to parliament or cross the floor of the house to political parties of their choice without unnecessarily provoking by elections.
Can people like Richard Taima convince us that they want to join PF because they want to develop their constituencies? Taima was deputy minister during the MMD regime for a long time, what development did he initiate in his constituency? And if development can only come to a constituency if one belongs to a ruling party, then it’s as good as doing away with multi party politics. The biggest problem we have in this country is that we don’t have political ideologies; that’s why people like Taima and Masumba can easily jump from one political party to another.[pullquote]What happened to the spirit of 1991? Didn’t we unanimously reject dictatorship and embrace multi-party democracy? Why then should we allow Sata’s PF to drag us back to the one party state by letting him continue poaching opposition MPs?[/pullquote]
According to my Oxford Advanced Learners’ dictionary, ideology is a set of ideas or beliefs that form the basis of an economic or political theory or that are held by a particular group or person.These individuals are joining PF not because they believe in the PF ideology, if at all it has one, but because they want jobs or protect their businesses. And if say support for the PF started dwindling a few years from now, such individuals shall surely be the first to jump ship – what hypocrisy! One would of course rightly argue that the problem of poaching opposition MPs started with Levy Mwanawasa, but if we may be fair was this in order?
What was Mwanawasa’s motive for appointing opposition MPs as ministers, for instance? To deliberately obliterate opposition; and he almost succeeded in doing so! Under his tutelage, MMD robbed Gen. Godffrey Miyanda of all his MPs and also managed to snatch a few from Mazoka’s UPND such as the likes of Dr.Sipula Kabanje. Are we saying we should continue treading on this retrogressive path as a nation? What happened to the spirit of 1991? Didn’t we unanimously reject dictatorship and embrace multi-party democracy? Why then should we allow Sata’s PF to drag us back to the one party state by letting him continue poaching opposition MPs? Fellow citizens, until next time I rest my case.
By a disgusted citizen!
I agree with you entirely. Let these MP’s continue co-operating with govt on their tickets for the time being. They can cross over in 2016 and no one will raise dust. VIVA DEMOCRACY
Every picture of Zambia is so depressing.
Wynter Kabimba is not the best person to use as a yardstick for a good politician. When I listened to his statement, I was shocked and it said volumes about where we are going as a country. Masumba, Taima etc went into the 2011 elections with MMD. If those two had any problems with MMD, they had all the time in the world to denounce their sponsor party. What Wynter is encouraging is selfish & in no way sorts out hunger and other socio ills for a poor man in Mbala. Let us enshrine in the constitution the barring of MPs who jump ship. Let the runner up grab the seat or have elections where these people are not allowed to participate in. We need to wake up as Zambians and stop the Kabimbas from raping us with ill thought statements that mean nothing at all.
THE SITUATION IS NOT AS SIMPLE AS THAT. IF ALL THESE MPS WERE DEFECTING FROM PF TO JOIN THE UPND OR MMD ALL OF YOU COMPLAINING WERE GOING TO BE HAPPY AND EXCITED MAKING HEADLINES AND LAUGHING AT THE PF. NOW THAT THE TABLES HAVE TURNED THE OTHER WAY ROUND. YOU ARE COMPLAINING. CHIWAMINAGALU? YOU ARE TELLING LIES THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE COST OF BYE ELECTIONS WHEN IN ACTUAL FACT YOU ARE AFRAID OF THE HUMILIATING DEFEAT THAT YOU WILL SUFFER AT THE HANDS OF THE PF SHOULD THE BYE ELECTIONS BE HELD. DEMOCRACY IS EXPENSIVE. JUST AS THE 50%+1 IS EXPENSIVE. YOU WILL NOT SAY WE WILL AVOID THE 50%+1 BECAUSE IT IS EXPENSIVE. SO LET THE STRONG PARTY WIN THE BYE ELECTIONS. MONEY WILL BE FOUND. YES IT IS EXPENSIVE BUT IT IS THE ONLY WAY OUT.
Walasa!!!
Only way out of what. Farmers NOT paid. Retirees NOT paid. People needing heath care. etc and you want to selfishly waste money. What a government. ATASE.
MR SAD IS EXAGGERATING THINGS . YOU CANNOT MAKE A SWEEPING STATEMENT THAT FARMERS AND RETREES HAVE NOT BBEEN PAID. IT IS WISE TO SAY SOME FARMERS AND SOME RETIREES HAVE NOT BEEN PAID. FOR FARMERS , ALL THE MONEY IS AVAILABLE. IT IS THE PROCESS OF GETTING THIS MONEY THAT SHOULD BE IMPROVED, THE SAME GOES FOR RETIREES. DO NOT BE AFRAID OF BYE ELECTIONS. LETS SEE HOW POPULAR YOU ARE.
Affairs of Zambia really makes ones heart bleed. One wonders why it is that as a people we end up with being taken advantage of by a small clique of people. The article says and exposes the indifference that the political group has over the governed in Zambia. Many people have expressed the injustices of all these by-elections arising from defections all with a view of silencing opposition. And the ruling party claims its popular! This lack of checks in governance has resulted in retrogression and what a shame to both the MP’s that cross over and the government for spending huge sums of money in by-elections just to increase their numbers. As a people we are too passive!
This is what is known as politics. in fact in other countriesa like south africa there are so called floor crossing periods when MPs are allowed to change parties, literaly betraying their electorate. You cannot expect PF to remain idol without benefiting from its position as a ruling party by weakening the opposition. In fact its a strategy of any party worth its name…fighting tooth and nail 24/7 to undermine their rivals until they rule. There are no angels in politics. This is the ”dirty” part of the game of politics bane. So guys you can have your hearts bleed to death politics will be just that, dirty. Is it not just a few months ago when HH was bleeding on behalf of PF in Solwezi, in the fight agains the then ruling party MMD? now look how far apart HH stands with Sata?
I am a very well meaning citizen who disagrees with this article and its strong tone. This is a democratic process. Everything that is happening is within the law. A member of parliament has the democratic right to resign from a political party at any time. It is costing us, yes, but it is the law of the land. This is what the democratic process is about. Grow up.
Which democratic process? What is lawful may not be ethical and what people are saying is, why do you want to spend billions on unnecessary bye-elections when there are more pressing needs in the country? Mr. Mwape has not been paid his dues and yet there is plenty of money for bye-elections! How can you be deaf to that? This is the type of arrogance that saw MMD packing their bags – after 20 years – but PF is on the same track after only a year in office! Good luck with your democratic process.
Law?? We want morality in our leaders, not taking advantage of the weak law.
Its rather irrelevant to argue with ignorance
BY ELECTIONS ARE IMMORAL AND AN AFFRONT TO THE POOR????????????
Where did such ignorance go to school? How did the editor even let this one get published?
I see nothing wrong with bye-elections.Using examples of poor people is a very lame excuse…Jesus himself said that as long as heaven and earth stands there always will be poor people in the world as this was after he was blamed for not caring about the poor after he allowed a hooker to anoint him with expensive perfume.So bane why complaining if umwana wamulungu said “mulekeni ansube naimwe”.May the bye-elections continue.
its a real shame even after last years election mps want to be greedy by purposely creating by elections instead of progressing and lobbying for money to develop these areas as mps .there is too much wastage of time and money..each by election costs 6billion do we have these kinds of money to spend i fail to understand per zed whether we are going or coming.
the biggest problem is the voters who vote for these defectors,please zambians TEACH THESE DEFECTORS a lesson by voting for the opposition.CHILUBA tried to bring down GIVEN LUBINDA,by grading feed roads in kabwata ,,but the BRAVE PEOPLE OF kabwata constituence voted for LUBINDA,am a supporter of pf but we need CHECKS AND BALANCESA NOT WEAKENING the opposition.MARK MY WORDS if all the defectors lose the by elections,SATA will fire same folks like kabimba,and kennedy.the POWER LIES IN THE HANDS OF THE VOTERS.
I agree with you my dear, if only we can make jobless will they learn, otherwise will keep doing the same thing.
@7, the Equalizer, which word here is confusing you, Immoral or Affront??? Get a dictionary chikala or try preschool again. You sound to be a genius for nothing.
Pf has few mps in their thinking they want to have the all 150 to belong to them and zambians are exited they are ready to destroy opposition that we enter one party state with KING COBRA. Stand up for zambia
#4 u from chinsali village…
#12 PF will definitely have the 150 if our opposition remain divided, weak and tribalistic. This is fertile ground for any party in power to vandalise the opposition merciless.
EXACTLY. THE OPPOSITION IS PETTY, TRIBALISTIC.
Fellow bloggers!The writer of the article says he is a “Disgusted Citizen.”No wonder the tone of the article.Next time, be your normal self, and do not use excessive emotion or lament to present your case.What measures have the opposition put in place to keep their members?Do they still have capturing policies that will convince the majority to allign with them?Are their leaders also trustworthy?
NOW ZAMBIANS LET US PUT A STOP TO THIS FOOLISH INJUSTICE, LET US PASS A LAW NOW THAT WHO EVER IS EXPELLED OR CROSSES AS AN MP NOW CANNOT STAND UNTIL 2016. U WILL SEE HOW THESE FOOLS WILL RETRACT AND START TO GLORIFY NEVERS MUMBA AND MMD.
But people voted for PF and its policies. This is what the people want and I’m sure Sata is convinced he is acting in the interests of the people. Zambians must grow up and learn to deal with problems before they happen than always running around to correct the situation after terrible things start happening. When all of you voted for Sata, you definitely expected this to happen. Why did you vote for him. This is a very cheap shot at the President who didn’t force himself on the people. Learn to accept your silly mistakes and accept responsibility to the suffering you might be undergoing now. You had a chance to make a choice and you made the choice even when you knew the consequences. Stop abusing the president with your ‘holier-than-thou’ commentary. Vote wisely next time!
MY DEAR FRIEND , THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR SATA ARE ALL VERY HAPPY. IT IS THE SAME FEW PEOPLE WHO DID NOT VOTE FOR HIM WHO ARE COMPLAINING. PEOPLE SHOULD LEARN TO ACCEPT THE OUTCOME OF THE VOTE. ACTUALLY MANY PEOPLE ARE HAPPY WITH THE PF, NO WONDER THESE DEFECTIONS AND VICTORIES IN BYE ELECTIONS IN TRADITIONAL STRONGHOLDS OF THE OPPOSITION. AT THIS RATE, THE PF WILL AGAIN WIN THE 2016 ELECTIONS.
#18 we are not going through any suffering as a result of PF and we did not make any silly mistake. Come 2016 we will access the PF and as things are going now vote for them again. What should be encouraged is parliament to ammend a lot of these laws. If it is law, there is no one to blame.
The party that was so promising now has turned to be undemocratic,tribalistic, and divisive.
What a Shame and how awful that all promises have gone unmet.
It is such a shameful/tragic thing to happen to Zambia..
The country deserves better.
since this is a great flaw in our constitution, something needs to be done,instead of exploiting it which is a shame, bye-elections are expensive, they need to tell us how much this is costing the nation so we can beat up these selfish useless MP always jumping ship
While democracy is being raped by the lust for power of one granny of Elias Chipimo, I sit silently busy with my own problems of debt to Zambians.
Give me time
Hi, just wanted to say i liked this article. it was practical. keep on posting.
induced”buy”elections are immoral becoz the defector has been bought to shift camp.what is important to cross over after all???