GOVERNMENT says it is pondering the Political Parties Act which will regulate the way political parties operate.
Justice Deputy Minister Keith Mukata said Government is working on introducing the Act. He said the political party Act would be introduced to regulate politics in Zambia.
“We are also looking at coming up with a political party Act to regulate politics. The policy is not yet in place but we are currently working on that,” he said.
Mr Mukata was speaking at the Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in Lusaka today.
On the Constitution, he said Government had not evaded the holding of the referendum.
He said Government has taken leadership in the constitution process and would adopt the document in piecemeal and not its entirety.
He said the APRM tool is key to good governance.
Mr Mukata said the APRM is Africa’s home grown and innovative solution to one of the continent’s most important challenges of developing a culture of good governance on the continent.
He said APRM is therefore not just another externally imposed conditionality, tolerated in order to secure debt forgiveness or advantageous economic incentives, but the home grown initiative to take the destiny of Africa and its peoples into their own hands.
He urged the private sector and civil society to apply their minds to the necessary solutions to issues under APRM.
“The government cannot work alone, and needs willing and able partners amongst non-state actors to partner with it in deepening and widening efforts to include all Zambian’s in the country’s prosperity and economic development going forward,” he said.
The conference, which attracted civil society organisations, was organized by Common Cause Zambia and the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA).
Common Cause Zambia executive director Susan Mwape said so far a number of significant strides had been taken including Peer Review.
She said Zambia had made tremendous progress in building its democracy and promoting sustainable livelihoods for her people, and more still needed to be done.
She commended EISA for collaborating with Zambian Civil society since 2007 and supporting this conference and facilitating for the deliberation of key governance issues in Zambia.
The conference would discuss Zambia’s standing in socio-economic and democratic history, efforts to fight poverty, unemployment, securing a popular constitution, and corruption, among other issues.
“It’s time for measuring our achievements as a country, it’s time to seriously and openly assess our shortcomings and a time to reach consensus and find new solutions,” she said.
These are consequences of choosing cursed people like Lungu as Presidents.
Let me warn him that dictatorial tendencies will not be tolerated in Zambia.
Shoddy reporting; in the wording its Justice Deputy Minister; on the photo its finance deputy minister; lack of grey matter from PF has been spilled to reporters of this on-line media. Edit your stuff before you show your shoody works to the masses.
Yes, let us regulate ALL political parties INCLUDING parties in government. We all recall how UNIP, MMD and now PF cadres have misbehaved and got away with it. The experience recounted by Secretary General Chama in Mulobezi may help the PF to appreciate calls by citizens to deal with PF violence at GIGOCCA Matero, Kabwata and many other places where they got away without any police action or condemnation. It may be recalled that Pangas were first introduced in political violence by MMD cadres under the leadership of the late Mr Michael Sata, who later led PF into power. The feared UNIP vigilantes were also led by the same person. UPND has for many years complained of being brutalised and bullied by PF cadres and had been warning that they would start defending themselves. For how long?
That act if introduced to disadvantage the opposition currently will fix the same PF in the near future.
THIS IS ABSURD. THIS IS RUBBISH. IF THESE GLUTTONS DECIDE TO INTRODUCE IT NOW, WE SHALL SCRAP IT OFF WHEN THE UPND GOVERNMENT BEGINS TO FUNCTION NEXT YEAR. LUNGU’S HEAD IS SICK!
This is a ploy to try get of UPND. These pure failures (PF) are scared of change. It will not work. RB tried to disqualify the late MCS through stupid laws such as having a University degree. Which I agree given that the late MCS had all sorts kaponyas around him like the current president who want to loot the country dry without any mercy for the poor. God loves Zambia and no one will hold it captive especially someone like Lungu. Your time to get out of power is coming
PPA waaaah!
The pack is not only financialy broke, there is also grey matter problem…
Zambians are learning the hard way.
SO THEY ARE SERIOUS ABOUT ENDING MULTY PARTY SYSTEM. I HAVE NEVER SEEN OR HEARD A COUNTRY RUN MEDIOCRETARY LIKE ZAMBIA
Too much democracy is slowing down our development process.How I would love to see the act have provisions on regulating the number of political parties according to ideologies….UNIP-socialist.MMD-Capitalist.UPND-mixed economy.Finish.Not today Rainbow NAREP ABZ blah blah I mean what do you people believe in.If you look at the PF manifesto its so much like UNIP.This manifesto was done or rather pasted by Winter.How I wish Sata went back into UNIP and excercised inter party democracy and then lead the party.This continuace formation of political parties is disgusting to say the least.Our politics need to grow folks.
How can you “regulate” ideology when there is none?
What is perceived as “political ideology” in Zambia can and must be summarized as “lust for power”.
Make an act that curtails bi-elections please.
KC you have the only sensible comment here. Not these upnd cadres
This is long over due..As long as its done in all fairness to opposition parties also..There should be a restriction on when can one move from one political party to another..One today cannot be UPND and then be MMD tommorrow or PF..There should be a restriction on when this can be done or even have a limit. Say for example one cannot join more than two polictical parties within a five year period or can only change from one polictal party to another after being in one for at least 10 years. This will reduce job seekers wanting to get into government for jobs and not about serving the people they represent and people will be joining polictal parties based on ideaology and values of a party.
i will read more later. but first act should be no jumping from opposition into ruling political party, no induced byelections and no party cadres with power above the police.
may b umungulu kuti wacepako cos where democracy started we av neva seen these 20 political parties we see in zambia .plz USA and uk can u pump more knowledge on us zambians? cos running a government is not a business
We need much more serious people to run de affairs of the nation its not about pf its also a party just like Upnd etc.and they know that, they will also be regulated. When something becomes a bill, act and then law it does Not exclude anyone. Even pf will be checked.