Thursday, March 28, 2024

NDF adopts electoral system that would provide for formation of coalition government to avoid re-run

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NDF spokesperson Isaac Mwanza
NDF spokesperson Isaac Mwanza

The National Dialogue Forum (NDF) has adopted a presidential electoral system that would provide for formation of coalition government to avoid re-run if no candidate obtains over 50% plus one of the valid votes cast in a general election. This came to light on Monday when a motion was moved by during discussions on secondary issues for amending the Coonstitution of Zambia and the Electoral Process Act.

Speaking during a media briefing, NDF Spokesperson confirmed that the Forum is favourably considering a system that would provide for the coalition intended to amalgamate presidential votes to more than 50% but said the details would be worked out later after careful research.

The Forum has adopted the mixed member proportional system of governance which will promote representation of various interest groups in society such as women and differently-abled citizens, reduce by elections, while maintaining the first past the post for constituency based seats. The system, it was explained was to provide for a system of replacement for a member of parliament and councillor upon vacation other than by reason of a general election
However, Mr. Mwanza said that the Forum resolved to give the mixed member representation time to research in order to come up with the model that would work best for Zambia.

“The Forum also resolved to adopt the provisions to allow Zambians in the diaspora to register as voters and participate as voters without the need for them to physically travel to Zambia for elections. An opportunity has also opened for persons in correctional facilities to vote during elections,” said Mr. Mwanza

Meanwhile drama characterised the last part of the day on Monday as delegates became divided on the motion moved by the Kabwe lawmaker, Tutwa Ngulube, to requiring civil servants to resign 3 years before running for elections. The proposal was largely supported by serving members of parliament but seen as a self-preservation tactic by non-members of Parliament except a few parties like United Nations Independence Party.

40 COMMENTS

  1. Zambia a banana Republic! Cry My Beloved Country. What wrong did we do mwebantu to deserve this moment of madness that is happening in our country. Anyway, let it be known that those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad.

    • I think coalition Govt is a good concept but it does not necessarily prevent constant elections. We might avoid a rerun and still end up with an election months or a few years after a general election. Because, what happens if the coalition fails or breaks up before the next general election? You still going to end up with an election either way.

      Study Isirael’s system and see if that’s what we need in Zambia. I few it is better to have a rerun at the front end if no candidate attains the 50% + 1 threshold than deal with coalition collapses later on……and the evidence so far tells us that coalitions in Zambia are dubious at best and can’t work!

    • Wrong move … unless you are Switzerland where the head of government status can rotate among leading parties, this system has always been a recipe for disaster.

      Avoid it like a plague, it will not work in our Zambian context, it will promote more tribalism and make the country ungovernable.

      Keep the first beyond post to avoid re-runs or maintain the 50+ which both give a clear mandate to lead. Don’t experiment with this coalition fire.

      Other provisions make sense … let’s roll

    • If you want proof that this coalition nonsense will never work among the smart people of the Zambian Enterprise just look at our past.

      How many alliances have been formed just before an election and how many have ever agreed on anything to even participate in a single election as single entity fielding one candidate????

      These alliances have always failed either by technicalities or due to egos and quest to lead others at their own expense.

      History is always a great predictor of future behavior. Don’t do this or we will be going backwards as a country. A clear mandate to lead is to be respected especially at this stage where development is so crucial.

      Epo mpelele,

      BRM

    • COALITION GOVERNMENT WITH SMALLER PARTIES TO MAKE UP THE NUMBERS IS GREAT, COALITION GOVERNMENT WITH A NUMBER 2 IS RELIGIOUSLY A BITTER TASTE TO THIS NARRATIVE, AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS UNDERTAKING.
      To be forewarned is to be forarm
      Oh no! I hope is not what I am thinking. A coalition with a number 2 is deadly. Political ideologies may crash. A coalition Government with smaller parties makes reasonable sense to avoid a costly rerun. But while at it, spell out terms for those coalitions in electoral laws. That move can at the same time have supposedly bigger parties have some form of respect for presumably smaller parties. Allow the simple majority election winner choose 1 or 2 smaller parties to form Government with. If this is your line of thought, wadya chibelo chankuku na…

    • … na soup yokwanila iwe. You have my support.
      Otherwise better to remove this 50% + 1.
      Again, to be forewarned, is to be forarmed
      Trade carefully folks!

    • Boza

      Anything PF proposals you have to look at it with a grain of doubt. Say, if the difference between PF and UPND is 5%, PF in this system will use our money to bribe the small parties with 5% to come to their side and form a fake coalition government. Look at how PF behaves from now onwards, they will be funding small parties 100% .

    • How is this progressive and why do you support it? Coalition govt can not work in Zambia where you can not have mere dialogue not this NDF that’s not dialogue that’s a shame. These people are trying cover every possible angle for LAZY LUNGU who knows that once he looses its the end for him with his MMD followers. Coalition govt only make the bigger party stronger…simply look at the situation in UK with the Conservative and Liberal Party that marriage destroyed the liberals today they dont have that support imagine being married to PF with their reckless wasteful policies. They are saying adopting a ” mixed member proportional system of governance” that dont even sound like a party but another group of yes men like NDF to further the shameless looting.

    • A coalition of say the PF and the MMD or the green party would work wonders in Zambia. It only UPND that can’t go into a coalition as a junior partner as HH wants to be president even if his party got a lower number of votes

  2. A few progressive ideas and a few dangerous ones too!!If we allow Prisoners to vote who reside in restricted areas controlled by those in power how are we going to free campaigning and proper monitoring of voting? Coalition government sounds good,it can cement national unity and reduce the approach of “winner takes all” and that is how PF may loose or maintain power depending on how breakaways from PF feature in elections!But then what happens to VP as running mate? No by-elections especially at parliamentary level is very welcome!!

    • Progressive…really laughable…they are saying adopting mixed member proportional system of governance look again that sounds like another rubber-stamp gathering of fleas like NDF.

  3. Coalition governments don’t work. There’s always disagreeing and opposing. I for one don’t have faith in such governments

    • I am very you nothing but a recipe for disaster. People who are hungry for power can easily make a country ungovernable.

      Also, prisoners shouldn’t be allowed to vote. An election is for free people making choices about their bread and butter issues and posterity.

      A regular prisoner is not s tax payer and on top of that he’s not properly informed to make an educated guess as to who might lead the country in the direction that’s good for his choices and beliefs.

      This is one kakamania idea that’s total nonsense.

  4. Coalition Government? Not in Zambia. There is too much indiscipline cropping up and squabbling would be the older of the day. What Zambians need is an iron fisted President who can instill discipline in the country

    • Read again its not even a coalition type govt but PF appointing more bootlickers like NDF with no integrity.

  5. Let’s agree this is good. What’s purpose of UPNDC alliance if we against this? For kambwili to use us?

    • Different objectives …use your head to think…NDC and UPND just want to kick PF out of govt and eat into PF ground.

  6. How we moved from dialogue to constitution amendment. When you play the game of thrones you win or you lose. Winner takes all and PF is moving heavy pieces.

    • Prisoners and Zambian in diaspora is where the rigging comes in to secure the PF.

      Makes sense for Diaspora voting when procedures and processes are in place and intact.

      Prisoners are more pliable and would vote for the jailers to secure their freedom. This is madness!

      Not now!

  7. Best way to go parley should rstify that one.

    Definitely PF is going. It also means Tongas and northers have no choice but join hands in running the country.

    This is a GNU

    PF-LUNGU-MUST-GO

  8. Coalition government to hell, so this is one way to keep those in power from leaving and facing the wrath from their wrong doing. If people vote for change then you move them back to what they rejected through this coalition. Many unanswered questions how the whole thing will work, rushing this thing is going to create disaster and it’s evident looking at the arguments

  9. Total nonsense,for who to bebefit,the incumbert to escape jail after stealing?
    Prisoners and those in diaspora is recipe for worst rigging…
    who said we Zambians needed a constitution amendment ba pompwe imwe,the document you boasted about 3 years down the line has disadvantaged you all because you are bad eggs,stop this madness,50% + 1 a must…
    bye-elections should be abolished,it’s total wastage

    • You dont understand. Upendi can and will never get 50+1 because it regional political party ran by one person.

      Coalition govt will force upendi to make deals and governance xonsations and reduce tribal tension with other regions.

      Arresting pf shouldn’t be hh pre occupation. Let him fix economy as he claims he could

  10. As it were

    LUNGU, Edgar C
    Edgar LUNGU
    PF
    1,860,877
    HICHILEMA, Hakainde
    Hakainde HICHILEMA
    UPND
    1,760,347
    NAWAKWI, Edith Z
    Edith NAWAKWI
    FDD
    24,149
    BANDA, Andyford M
    Andyford BANDA
    PAC
    15,791
    KABIMBA, Wynter M
    Wynter KABIMBA
    RAINBOW
    9,504
    CHISHIMBA, Saviour
    Saviour CHISHIMBA
    UPP
    9,221
    KAUNDA, Tilyenji C
    Tilyenji KAUNDA
    UNIP
    8,928
    SINKAMBA, Peter C
    Peter SINKAMBA
    GREENS
    4,515
    MWAMBA, Maxwell
    Maxwell MWAMBA
    DA
    2,378

    • Can the smaller opposition parties beef up a winning party/ candidate to cross the 50% + 1 threshold?

      At all costs, please do away with a rerun because if you can rally support from smaller parties in the aftermath of the election leading to a rerun, you can also smarterly engineer a coalition of Government in the aftermath of the General election, electorally.
      So as you deliberate, move beyond UPNDEAD and PF (partisan interest) because the fainthearted may be thinking that this is some fix or to deny one or the other candidate. This ain’t about ECL or double h. This is about this beautiful land, Zambia.

  11. If a collision of government concept is agreed upon, then the simple majority winner must be given the chance of choosing any of the smaller parties to form government rather than ignoring the winner of simple majority.

  12. Now this is patriotism from both UPND and Pf.It now seems the NDF is heading us for disaster how do you allow a prisoner to vote , let them touch on serious issues like reducing the presidential powers , decentralisation we the people or parliament need to start electing some of these key positions like Chief Justice, Attorney General, ACC directors , FIC directors e.t.c like one guy put it this country is bigger than ECL or HH.

  13. NDF ( National Dialogue Forum) was set to address the lacunas in the current constitution and repeal the public order act we were told. Is 50+1 a lacuna? Is not having Deputy Ministers a lacuna? Is churches holding meetings without police permit a lacuna? Is electing a mayor a lacuna? Please spare this country from going backwards. Why doesn’t an African like accountability? Why do we always prefer tools for controlling others to systems of accountability? Could this be the reason other parties stayed away from NDF? How can a government which is facing cashflow problems introduce positions of deputy ministers?

  14. This article is misleading. Listen to parliament radio. The proposal to bring in the Coalition government was not agreed to. That was relegated to electoral act

  15. Why should a civil servant who has retired wait for two to three years for one to be allowed to contest elections ? This is retrogressive and an infringement on the human rights of individuals.It does not make sense to restrict some one who is not a civil servant to wait for all that long.What is the fear bane ? This is not fair in my view.

  16. Why should one wait after three yrs to participate in politics? in as much law is dynamic, this position is not health for the country as failing candidates wth regard to deliver services to da public will b reluctant as there will b no one to challenge dem. Also, it is against the tenets of democracy. This is harmful to development for da country as a whole nd as well as social change. Potential candidates wth aim to make real change will b denied an opportunity to effect dere aim if this position of da law is in effect. The fact dat one has resigned from da civil service must not hinder dat person from participating in an election. Zambia is does not belong to a particular group of pipo but its each citizen as a whole. Therefore, doz in power must not make life hard for doz below to…

  17. The last thing we want is UPND in gvt through this back door method. Let’s stick to our re runs so they continue in opposition..

  18. How many stakeholders groups where represented from the rural areas and who picked them as representatives to the NDF? Did they come with their own proposals or someone had already made up an agender and all they were required to do is say yes to what the clever guys had proposed within 10 days?? When you see Brexit has failed to take off in over 2 years you think it’s a joke. All these miopic PF government and their sorogates have no interest in solving problems, but creating confusion to prolong their rule. At this rate they will keep changing the constitution every year. You don’t make a constitution on short term, with an individual in mind. A constitution should not be played with like a personal Will

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