Heritage Party president Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda has asked President Edgar Lungu not to immediately assent to the Constitution Amendment Bill as there are still contentious issues such as political party funding.
And Gen Miyanda has described the 1,000 presidential supporters clause as an artificial road block.
“What does it prove if you have 1000 supporters when filing your candidature? Does this guarantee that those 1000 will vote for you? What will stop those with money to buy supporters the same way they buy votes? Why complicate our hard won democracy? Does it mean that promoters of 50 percent plus one vote have no confidence in their scheme? Just leave it to voters to decide instead of creating artificial road blocks,” he said.
Gen Miyanda said there was no justification for taxpayers to be funding clubs called “political parties”.
He said this in an open petition to the Republican President titled “At least ten reasons why President Edgar Lungu must read with open eyes before signing and assenting to the Constitution Bills”.
Gen Miyanda also said the Constitution was ambiguous on the declaration of Dual Citizenship.
He urged the Head of State clearly state his position on source of campaign funds for political parties, adding that it was a loophole where those with money, especially foreign interest groups, launder money to control which party won elections.
Gen Miyanda also said combining the referendum with the 2016 elections was another questionable scheme which must not be carried out.
He said the President also needed to clear a address the issue regarding media freedoms before he could assent to the Constitution.
Gen Miyanda said the process required careful examination and even consultation before assenting.
“Why must taxpayers pay for private clubs called ‘political parties’? There is no justification. Since you have emphasised the need to reduce costs, is this not a contradiction? Please explain because your minister did not raise this in his Second Reading statement and many such contradictions,” he said.
This constitution has been rushed through. Such a vital document needed to be debated effectively. There are so many loopholes in the amendments PF took to parliament which may result in constitutional crisis in future
What my President said is exactly was my thoughts, but questions where in numbers.
Why 1000 voters, why not 1 million?
I’m lost about the constitution having been rushed. How long has it taken to come to this point not to raise the question of cost? You want us to be discussing until Jesus Christ returns? Kudos to Lungu for demonstrating the he’s a man of action! The others were just consulting and consulting and consulting and consulting and consulting ……….. and somebody here seems to be cool with it!!!!
Soon we will see politicians simply diving into creating parties for the funding. It will be the new NGO wave… Sebana wikute will be the order of the day.
Comment:Miyanda can talk and advise, please let the president this advice. May Miyanda write this sense and wisdom to the president, He likes and loves wisdom for all.
So Gen. Miyanda is urging President Lungu to reject a Constitution that was debated by people’s representatives,MPs and then turn around and say the PF has not enacted the constitution in their term! We cannot have a perfect constitution that satisfies everybody but what is critical is to move a step forward taking into account changing circumstances. Gen.Miyanda may disagree with the funding of political parties and the 1000 voters he has failed to mention positives that have come with new amendments; fixed election date,50+1% for a winner, no participation in by-election by MPs crossing floors, running mate to avoid by-elections in event of President’s death,dual citizenship for people born in the diaspora,parliamentary approval for govt.to contract debts etc! Please be…
…continued…Please be realistic Gen Miyanda!Running a country is about controversy all the time!!After all another debate after a generation of using the new constitution will open up new demands and changes to what looks good or bad in the newly voted bill.
…as a people, shall we ever attain a constitution which shall be regarded as ‘perfect’..??..even just near perfect..??..I very much doubt it…..as usual GM has brought up concerns which may be in the minds of so many Zambians whose voices or cries are not loud enough to be heard.
…the requirement of 1000 supporters may seem to work on reducing the unnecessary long print out of presidential candidates during elections but is it democratically right to have it in a constitution…??…not even the current 200…in my view, presidential candidate to sponsored by a registered political party coupled with those other requirements like education levels, sound mind, bankruptcy etc are enough. For me as a tax payer paying/funding for a party i dislike with a passion…??…food for…
@ Zambia is ours…
…thank you for what seem to be a very good contribution……but some how you are contradicting yourself….what seem to be positive to you may not necessarily be positive to the General or others…50+1 has been contested as an expense….even if an MP who crosses over is barred from participating in the by elections he caused…the fact is that the by-elections shall still take place anyway….that newly elected Chongwe MP who ‘resigned’ an immediately sent to Mozambique as a diplomat….Livingstone MP later appointed PS…my point is, they can still cross over and given another portfolio, so they will care less about the by election they will have caused….that clause should have gone further to ban such chaps from being appointed to any public office for the…
..cont’d..
…for the next 2,3 or 5 years from the date they crossed over or resigned…
…for the next 2,3 or 5 years from the date he/she crosses over or resigns….
Sorry meant ..running a country is NOT about controversy all the time!!
This Miyanda chap is but a bored loser and failure in life. What an empty tin, no wonder the noise. This is the same guy who mounted a failed coup attempt, failed to run MSD, failed as Vp and failed as party president. He will make noise when it suits him. Is he now happy with his campaign to declare Zambia a Christian nation? What a loser.
Ba Gen. you are free to express your opinion but do not mislead Zambians. What qualifies as a political party is a totally different concept under art. 60 of the Constitution Bill (subscribe to upholding the national constitution, have national character, have regular & free internal elections, aggrieved members allowed to seek redress through judicial system, submission of audited accounts, etc.). This can not be a Pvt. Club. 2ndly only political parties with seats in Parliament may be supported (not funded) from a fund that may be created under an Act of Parliament with a limit on what can be spent on campaigns during elections. This promotes transparency, accountability & reduces the possibility of buying of votes. Is this what you’re opposing sir?
Further, ba Gen. how does disclosure by a party of the source of its funding become a loop hole for money laundering & foreign influence? This is exactly what art. 60 is trying to prevent by demanding disclosure. Mind you the President is assenting to what we Zambians have been demanding for 51 years. He did not draft this constitution. Where were you when we were making submissions to question the dual citizenship clause today? If you stop personalizing & targeting the President over the constitution you may start appreciating how progressive it is & how equalises all Zambians. It not a PF document it does not just apply to the Govt. in power. Please stop confusing Zambians!
@scrutinizer, agreed that the piece you have mentioned should have gone further to bar such persons from being appointed to public office. But this is what I meant that the good and pieces will still need changes but we are still evolving in governance. So we can not say we through out the constitution because one or two clauses are not meeting the demands of some sectors of society. So far the same 50+1% has proponents who argue that it will lead to a more representative President while others look at the cost only? Do you believe Gen.Miyanda is justified to complain even about 1000 supporters countrywide? So what type of a President does he hope if he cant raise such a number of supporters? May be he participates in elections to benefit from donations from governance financing NGOs!!
..weird world of politics my dear brother…definitely the requirement of 1000 supporter should not a reason for ECL not to append his signature on the bill…from that point of view I agree with….
That’s the problem of brief case parties