Thursday, March 28, 2024

FODEP will continue to condemn the Government for receiving MPs defecting from Opposition

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FODEP Executive Director, McDonald Chipenzi
FODEP Executive Director, McDonald Chipenzi

FODEP executive director McDonald Chipenzi has challenged Patriotic Front (PF) youths on the Copperbelt to state which party they are linking him to.

Reacting to calls by Copperbelt youth chairperson Menyani Zulu for him to resign and publicly mention a political party he allegedly belonged to, Mr Chipenzi said he could comment on the assertions only if those accusing him mentioned the party they were saying he supported.

“I thought that they are the first ones who are supposed to mention the party they are alleging that I belong to.

“The best they can do is say, ‘This man belongs to this party,’ that’s when I can only respond to their allegations,” Mr Chipenzi said.

Mr Chipenzi attributed Mr Zulu’s accusations against him to his continued condemnation of Government receiving defecting opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) resulting in by elections.

He vowed to continue condemning defections of MPs regardless of which political party they belonged and were defecting to as by elections were a huge cost to the nation because resources meant for developmental purposes were being channeled to such elections.

“As FODEP, we will not stop condemning defections by Members of Parliament because they are a huge drain on the national treasury. By elections are a drain on national resources,” he said.

Mr Chipenzi , however, said his organization welcomed divergent views, especially that it championed democracy and thus it would be failing in its duties if it demonized those that were freely expressing their views as doing so (divergent views) was one of the tenets of democracy.

“They (PF Copperbelt youths) are just expressing their democratic right. Let them continue to speak and we shall not demonise them for expressing their opinion. We must encourage this kind of talk in a democracy,” he said.

Mr Chipenzi observed that such criticism was one way of providing checks on and balances on FODEP it being a public institution, adding also that it was indication that his organization had not done a good job in sensitizing the public that FODEP was not restricted to talking about elections only.

He said his FODEP would remain being objective and urged the people to put politics aside when talking about developmental issues.

Last week Mr Zulu challenged Mr Chipenzi to step down and come out in the open by declaring a political party he belonged to as he was allegedly siding with the opposition in his statements, a move he said had turned FODEP into a sham and an embarrassment to its donors

32 COMMENTS

  1. iwe ndiwe cha UPND! who doesnt know how you tongas takesides? as much as you can sing but your tribes man will never be voted to power. we will not allow tribalists to rule us because you guys are mean. even when we were kids playing chimphombwa tongas would put themselves on one side against the rest. but they always lost anyway.

    • One thing that should be said about tongas is that they are rich. Go to southern province and compare it to the Kolwestans. Tongas do not believe in mediocrity like CNP. They are principled and cannot be associated with corruption. see how your cheap tribesman can easily be compromised to join CNP.
      You fear tonga leadership because they believe in hard work and honesty. As long as kolwestans lead Zambia even Congo DR will be more developed than Zambia because they are just a bunch of thieves and nothing else.

  2. this chap is useless, when did we change the constitution to ban people from defecting, this guy being a learned guy i suppose should understand that as long as it remains legal for one to switch political parties there is nothing we can do to stop it and condeming defetions is attacking the constitution itself, the best we can do is to change the constitution, i dont like these by elections but the chance is now to to change thing by taking advantage of constitution making process that is taking place to submit such ideas. i think we should let people defect but let the seat remain with the political party on whose ticket the mp was elected and then let political party choose a member from among its members to be the mp for the affected constituency till the next electon. i rest my case.

    • Musoli Muthanshi, you have no understanding ability, you still have unfinished business with the ministry of education. FODEP’s concern is the cost of bye elections at the expense of Development. Please sometimes lets try to be patrotic.

    • Musoli I like your suggestion about letting mps defect but let the seat remain with the party on which the defector was elected – this is what fodep should be seen to be doing, championing and suggesting

    •  politcal philosopher my dear, stop thinking that once one has a different idea from yours then they are not educated, our constitution says that once a MP resigns there should be a by election and people are resigning so what do you want, to over rule the constitution and let there be no by election? dont attack me like that just put your idea on how best we can handle this problem, from the look of things we all dont want these by elections so why fight if we are on the same side, but trust me on this, AS LONG AS WE DO NOT CHANGE THE CONSTITUTION THESE THINGS WILL CONTINUE NO MATTER WHICH POLITICAL PARTY COMES IN POWER.

  3. Its very wrong for PF to be appointing opposition mps in ministrial jobs and later they resign and they hold elections.IT IS MORALLY WRONG and PF was up in arms when late president Levy did same.If Mr Sata is serious with basing his rulership on 10 commandments it reads love your neighbour as you love yourself and so he has broken this one and needs to confess or wrath of God will be upon him.This issue is bringing frictions in the political arena and we can not afford as a nation to be politicking all year round and creating confussion NO NO.PLS learn to listen.

  4. We thank God that FODEP has been revived in time to protect democracy which is being mutilated by Mafias, deceptors of crooks of all hues. The institution is being restored to a state when the Late Professor Chanda was in the driving seat.

  5. ANYONE IN ZAMBIA HAS A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT OF ASSOCIATION- DEFECTING TO ANY PARTY OF HIS/HER CHOICE IN THIS CASE. IT ISN’T A CRIME. ECZ HAS A BUDGET ALLOCATION TO CATER FOR SUCH OCCURRENCES. SO YOU PEOPLE IN HIGH POSITIONS AND CLAIMING TO BE EDUCATED PLEASE, READ THE CONSTITUTION BEFORE YOU COMMENT ON SUCH ISSUES. OTHERWISE YOU WILL LOOK LIKE YOU NEVER PASSED THRU A LECTURE THEATRE IN THE EYES OF THE SO CALLED BAKAPONYA.

  6. What Chipenzi is saying does not hold any water. lt is full of contradictions.Yo organisation stands to promote democracy . ln a situation we find ourselves u only nid to advice on moral grounds and the advocacy of a piece of law that c hinder such.

  7. Condemning such mps b/ders on violeting deir rights 2 belong 2 any social grouping which u are purpoting 2 champion. Yo opionion is not everybody’s cup of t. Much as we condemn dis on account of funds dere s nothing u c do. Dis idealogy is v COSTLY

  8. Besides that l urge to promote internal democracy in our various political pary eg what has been happening in mmd . kachingwe’s case and latest this Hon. Namugala where even the correct channels were not followed. Democracy must b at 0 levels.

  9. lastly bravo Peter! Those bringing of these primitive social groupings u must stop . U are not even democratic. Democracy should not be adhere to others and not u bane. Oh I love Zambia

  10. Well done sir.You have expressed your stand with reason and we welcome your views which are for the benefit of the nation.Those who are criticising have not even argued your point except to call you names.Why cant any blogger worth his salt explain why they dont agree to the fact that defections are costly?

  11. I miss Mushabati, who spoke without any fear or favor against MMD brutal tactics and maneuvers.

    McDonald Chipenzi should know that he has the support 99% of Zambians.

    The ones who are speaking against him are paid for by the SHUSHUSHU Special Branch and PF vigilantes.

  12. BRAVO CHIPENZI.Thats the way to go.continue hammering them left right and centre.Our democracy is being raped by these people.please,speak for the voice less Zambians.Chipenzi and FODEP,you are doing a fantastic job.CONGRAT .Paja FODEP went to sleep.

  13. Number 2 you are very foolish, you have made me laugh today ha ha ha ha ha ha lolest
    Ati  iwe ndiwe cha UPND! who doesnt know how you tongas takesides? as much as you can sing but your tribes man will never be voted to power. we will not allow tribalists to rule us because you guys are mean. even when we were kids playing chimphombwa tongas would put themselves on one side against the rest. but they always lost anyway.

  14. He’s just parroting .What has he said that does not look at all sides?Where has someone got the 99% support for Chipenzi? Stop dreaming.As pay his orgtions’ objectives he will speak against upnd 1 day and u will undress him completely . Lunatics !

  15. FODEP need to accept the side-effects and costs of multi-party democracy. As a country, we accepted multi-party politics and we should accept the costs which come with it even these by-elections. Once we start to restrict people on their freedoms of association, then we are heading dangerous close to a one party state. FODEP should campaign for laws to ban MP’s who resign to take part in a by-election through a draft constitution going on. As it is now, the MP’s are doing nothing wrong for FODEP to demonise them, it is within their rights to switch parties. 

  16. Chipenzi you have my undivided support in your pursuit of democratic tenets in our country. I’m just not impressed that you are wasting your time responding to this “Improve your brain Zulu boy”. Have you noticed that the educated in PF do not blubber anyhow.

  17. It is undeniable that bye elections are costly and should be avoided at all costs. Although bye elections cannot be eliminated completely, the kind of bye elections we are having is simply a reckless waste of our meagre resources as a country against very critical need areas. For real something can be legally right but morally corrupt so are these bye elections arising from these unwarranted defections. Why can’t these shameless MP’s who are defecting wait for the term to finish before crossing over. I think PF has a moral obligation to advise those defecting to wait until the next elections.

  18. How did FODEP allow this tribalist to be in charge? His political affiliation can easily be seen going by the comments he has been making. Ever since he became FODEP Executive Director, the man has never hidden his hatred for PF govt. Hatred and bitterness wont win you elections.

  19. defections are also prompted by the way opposition MP’S team up to deliberatly shoot down BILLS and important tools that enable govt do work.Govt has four more years to prove what their heads are made of or we vote them out ,until then they are mandated to give us results which ever way.MPs co-operate and defections may stop.

  20. If you’re hypertensive, your doctor might recommend a 24 hours monitoring with the use of the machine. That’s about 40 readings, that’s why you want something that lasts longer than 24 hours. Check the machines’ battery time and save yourself a lot of time and money. Take the ones that goes off after 400 or more readings.

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