Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Petitioner calls for an independent electoral body

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A Katete District resident Matthew Mwale has called for the creation of an independent electoral body that will be in charge of political campaigns for all political parties.

Making his submission during the Commission of Inquiry into Voting Patterns and Electoral Violence’s sittings yesterday, Mr Mwale says the independent electoral body will be in charge of planning, evaluating and taking charge of all campaign matters of political parties.

Mr Mwale explained that creating an independent electoral body away from the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), would enhance unity and peace in the country.

“This independent electoral body will oversee and plan the campaign meetings of political parties. For instance it should be able to plan that four political parties will be meeting in a particular area on this day and invite the public of which each political party represented will be able to sale their manifesto,’ he said.

Mr Mwale said the independent body should consist of all relevant stakeholders that will provide and balanced podium for each political party to sale itself.

He said such a body would address issues of the Public Order Act (POA) as political players will be given an equal opportunity to campaign.

Mr Mwale said not only this, the independent body will enable the enforcement of the fight against corruption and curb violence as the political ground will be levelled.

Mr Mwale also suggested appointment of cabinet ministers from each province so as to ensure regional balancing and curb tribalism as some tribes felt that they were being excluded from decision making positions.

Another resident of Katete Pumpkeni Yalukanda submitted to the Commission on matters regarding polling stations which were very far from most communities and hence suggested the creation of many more polling stations.

Mr Yalukanda said the distance to most polling stations during the 2016 general elections were very far from the people which created voter apathy in the district.

Mr Yalukanda also said that during the 2016 elections some headmen in the district wanted to be paid money in order for voter educators to educate their subjects on voting.

Mr Yalukanda said without payment these headmen would not allow for voter education to take place which later influenced how their subjects participated in the elections.

He also pointed out another factor of media biasness by the public media which had a bearing on how the public responded during the election period.

9 COMMENTS

  1. Even now it’s independent. What’s required are some reforms. We can visit countries like France and compare their system to ours. Remember that opposition has won elections twice since 1991 so the system is not as bad as losing candidates want to portray it.

    • and after 2011, freedom of expression, association and political association has been curtailed by overruling the Art. 11 of the Constitution of Zambia by the POA?
      How on earth a person who can type cannot understand that the SUPREME law in the Republic is CONSTITUTION and NOT Colonial POA?

    • I am not saying what you are saying. I’m calling for reforms and I am sure you know that reforms would also deal with the question of POA. The POA has never been removed so you’re misleading people by quoting 2011. You want to narrow everything to PF. Be factual bearing in mind that we all know our history.

    • True, Ndanje. The ECZ only becomes bad when someone loses. Remember 2006 and 2008, MCS made noise when he lost and condemned the ECZ, Danny Kalale and all. But was super quiet in 2011 when it was clear he was winning. He came to power and didn’t reform the same ECZ he previously condemned. That’s why i find it difficult to totally write off the ECZ. They are not perfect but they are surely progressing. For example the practice of having all political agents from printing of ballots to them sitting in polling stations is A DEMOCRATIC, TRANSPARENT AND PROGRESSIVE MOVE that deserves praise and recognition any day!!

  2. ECZ is very independent and doing a commendable job. Let us take an interest to really look at the performance of ECZ & speak truthfully.

  3. Who will ever trust ECZ after the Kalulushi theft of HH’s votes, mind you 1200 is a lot for a small city.
    Like Governance Activist, Leslie Chikuse says fresh elections will be inevitable if the recent video confession making rounds on social media is proved to be true.
    A video in which United Party for National Development(UPND) Kalulushi Candidate Evaristo Mwalilino’s  driver  is revealing how Hakainde Hichilema and Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba’s Kalulushi Constituency  votes where concealed has gone viral after it was aired on Prime TV.
    In the video, Wanna Chiyanga is confessing that his boss Mwalilino was given K21000, K360 000 for 21,966 votes and dropping the election petition respectively.
    He disclosed THAT  President Rupiah Banda, Information Minister Kapamba Mulenga and axed PF…

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