Disclosure of Funding for Political Campaigns
There is no shortage of financiers with personal, corporate, partisan, and/or shady external interests who are willing to provide financial support to political parties and their candidates, especially during political campaigns. As such, political parties and candidates for elective positions in government have a civic and moral obligation to disclose the names of individuals, organizations, and/or countries providing them with financial and/or material support.
It may not really matter whether or not there is a law requiring political parties and their candidates to disclose the main sources of their funds; any well-meaning political party or candidate that wishes to serve our beloved country and its people should oblige if and when requested to provide such information. There is a need for political parties and their candidates seeking to form government not to be arrogant or stubborn in their handling of this matter.
Voters may wish to know the sources of huge amounts of material and/or financial assistance rendered exclusively to any political party or candidate for use during political campaigns.
This should be a reasonable expectation considering the potential for such assistance to lead to what is referred to in the literature as “state capture”—that is, a situation that obtains when a powerful organization exerts undue influence (often through illicit means) on its host country’s state institutions, laws, regulations, and/or policies. Or, in other words, the extent to which organizations make illicit and non-transparent private payments to public officials in order to influence the generation of laws, rules, regulations, or decrees by government leaders or institutions.
Ultimately, “state capture” can lead to the initiation of projects and programs, and the generation of socioeconomic policies, that are in the best interests of external parties providing campaign funds in contravention of the interests of our beloved country and its people.
The author, Mr. Henry Kyambalesa, is a Zambian academic currently living in the City and County of Denver in the State of Colorado, USA.
Yes this is reasonable and makes sense The problem and the issue that was seen in bad taste was that Tayali singled out and demanded of only of one parties in the presidential campaign to measure up to this moral bench mark.
Ask the voters to refuse the shake shake until the are told the sourse of the funding. That way you will definitely score.
Us here on east coast of USA declared that we are raising money for HH. how much imwe abena Henry have raised up there in Colorado?
PF was buried on 11/11/14,
Lungu has no vision of his own,
Sampa is miles away,
The only hope for Zambia is HH.
If you think Vodga Lungu is the right man then let’s have live TV debates to discuss their plans for Zambia
Viva Flight HH2015
We all know only to well that there is nothing for nothing. People are in business to make money and lots of it if they can. Therefore, If Political Parties are getting funding from external international companies, then they should declare this or be we should make every effort to expose them.
No one party should be allowed to mortgage our country to foreign mercenaries who will then tread Zambians like 3rd class citizens.
Whether UPND, PF or MMD it should not matter, they should disclose or be exposed
Vote wisely in Jan 2015
#RBnafutiNafuti
As voters we want to know their sources of funding as some of them have sold their souls for a song. Some of these greedy harlots and charlatans could be selling Underground Psychotropic Narcotic Drugs (UPND)
Forget the disclosure business, it will not happen in this election circle. We need money to circulate. Looks like someone is scared of money, actually most well to do Zambians in some way do not survive on a salary, they steal from somewhere, it is typical of our country. The discrepancy between the rich and poor is huge. You might find no justification as to why someone gets paid $5000 a month and the other 300 ZMK. Actually no one deserves to get paid more than $2000 per month in the economy. In short when it comes to money in Zambia, the good thing to do is keep quiet and enjoy, in bemba we say yakuliamo, Mr. Lungu states that, ” that is the reason he is in politics” actually that is his vision for Zambia. Look at all those thieves. Wake up Zambia, Vote and protect your Vote. Vote HH
For sure the sources should be known to safe guard our country from vultures.
We love Zambia
The problem we have in Zambia is that we always demand certain things when it suits us. As long as it does not suit us it is of non effect. This is why a constitution should handle all grey areas in its formulation. The same people crying foul about the public order act will tomorrow be quiet over it as long as it works well for them for that period. Politically, disclosure of source of funding appear a moral issue than legal. Then obligation can not be guaranteed in this way. Small as it may appear, what comes to mind is an issue of Money Laundering and Financial terrorism. Perhaps FIC (Financial Intelligence Centre ) should encompass Political Parties on source of their funding.
In the manner that the the issue of disclosure of sources of funds for political campaigns has been handled, I say it is a red herring; a non-issue. People seem to be losing focus and appear to believe that external sources of funding for political parties can cause undue external influence. This is really missing the point.
There are many locals who funded the PF and got ministerial positions and government contracts for all sorts of businesses some corruptly. Yet we never heard a whimper from you folks. In my view local funds for elections are more insidious and to emphasize on disclosure of foreign funding sources while being silent on local sources is like writing about the sky without mentioning the sun!
Some *****s are really bitter, nowander they have no brains they just use their skull to think. Stupid and foolish *****, what dd upnd do to you? You are a real monkey becse yo het for upnd is beyond a 5 senses person. Nowander yo are poor is bcse of your reasoning. CNP.
Its not a secret that Tayali & Henry Kyambalesa are PF cadres feeling the heat of the opposition. Their own Sata was caught pants down in SA with ill gotten dollars yet these thugs never said a thing.
Forget yourselves guys.Better seek to repeal the law than making noise.
Just go campaign.
for all we know nevers mumba put some govt money in his pockets when he was incharge of the missionn in cannada
The contradiction is in FORCING political parties to VOLUNTEER information on demand. Voluntary information is private domain that must remain private. In the first place, why single out the political parties? Why exempt civil society organizations, advocacy groups, charities, clubs, associations? Donations need to be disclosed not out of moral conviction but based on legal requirement. The law protects society from fraudsters, criminals and the like. Now, when the PF government initited dialogue about disclosure of funding and the funding agencies, there was an outcry from civil society community members. Hence, the postponement to allow for further consultation and deliberation.
All I have to say to this person is that this is not the US. Come back here and give us that advice from here not half way round the world and you think you know what should be done here. Just advise people in Denver, Colorado reveal themselves because it is safe to do so.
The NGOs have refused to disclose their source of funding,why is it an issue with political parties?
Everyday Loser (EL) at it:
Q: So Hon. EL, what is your education policy?
A: Ah Ah I am not the education minister, go and ask the education minister…..
On radio Pheonix
this just made my day.
we are voting for HH come 20.01.2015 bwana
Chumbu Mulolwa
Asp LT BB2015
Henry you are a moron. Why shod the issue of political funding be an issue now? What is your interest in this?