The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) says it is unfair for anyone to criticize the Patriotic Front (PF) or indeed any political party for soliciting administration and campaign funds from any well-wisher of their own choice.
FODEP Executive Director MacDonald Chipenzi has told QFM News that the PF should not even be apologetic or feel guilty of anything for the alleged soliciting of campaign funds anywhere.
Mr. Chipenzi explains that under the current legal and political environment, any political party is free to look for campaign and administration funds from anywhere in the world and this is the price Zambia is paying for failing to put a law that should have regulated and governed the funding sources, fund ceiling and disclosure of funding sources by political parties.
Mr. Chipenzi says the non-existence of a legal provision is a potential threat to the country’s well-being as it puts the country at a vulnerable position.
He says this is because the country does not know what agreements or deals political parties enter into with the funders.
He adds that the country is actually at the mercy of political parties’ benevolence not to source such funds from inimical elements to a credible democratic process.
Mr. Chipenzi says it is for the reason that his organization has been calling for the funding of political parties in Zambia to improve their accountability and transparency levels and also appreciates the importance of political parties as institutions of governance and souls and lifeblood of Zambia’s multiparty democracy.
He says with regards the PF presidential hopeful Edgar Lungu and Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba’s recent private visit to Zimbabwe and their “country brief” to President Robert Mugabe, one wonders whether the meeting was sanctioned by the acting President Dr. Guy Scott to whom they report to by virtue of being cabinet ministers.
He strongly feels that the sidelining of the Acting President by the two ministers is undermining the governance system of the country and a testimony that divisions both in PF as a political party and Government are still rife.
This Chipenzi chap is trying to sound politically correct by mentioning PF but is indirectly protecting HH and UPND. We can already see through you.
Just because there is law to that effect doesn’t mean its free for all, na musonda by PK Chishala is exactly what cam happen to politicans if funded by crooks…and he calls himself a leader…pathetic!
What is good to the goose s good for the gander! PF must terribly fall
Bachipenzi you are UPND inside and FODEP outside. Zambians know what is good for them and that is Edgar lungu
Point ba chipenzi, i wil source my campaign funds from Taiwan.
Chipenzi is always sincere in his advice as he has never taken political sides. It’s only the dirt minds of tribalists that think that anyone who says something that agrees with UPND’s policies, whether it means well or not, is regarded as being tribal. That is having a rotten mind! When a Tonga supports a fellow Tonga no matter what the issue is, they are regarded as being tribal but when a Bemba supports a fellow Bemba on any issue, it is regarded as normal, not tribal! If HH addresses people in Tonga when in Southern province, he is being tribal but when Nevers or GBM or Bwalya or anyone from Northern does the same in their language (Bemba), its not tribalism, its normal! This is ridiculous and these are the rotten mindsets of such. divisive tribalists that need to be changed in…
Hahaha, am seated in my rocking chair and really laughing. HH has really put the fear of God into a lot of people. A certain political party campaigned with funds from Taiwan and later on China and Tayali’s NGO was mute. This has resulted in the country being flooded with Chinese people even in villages!