Opposition New Hope Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) National Secretary Hon. Elizabeth Chitika has said that the proposed exorbitant Electoral Commission of Zambia nomination fees are a threat to the Democratic process.
The ECZ during a consultative meeting yesterday announced an upward proposed nomination fees which will see the nomination fees for a Councillor going up from K750 to K2,500. The Council Chairperson and the Mayoral from K2,500 and K7,500 to K10,000 and K25,000. And Parliamentary from k7,500 to K25,000 and Presidential from k60,000 to K75,000 to K120,000 and 150,000 respectively.
Hon. Chitika in a statement circulated to the media said that the proposed Nomination fees are abnormal.
“We as the New Hope MMD are shocked with the recent behavior of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ). Just last week they announced an almost impossible venture of registering over 9 million voters under 30 days. Yesterday, they went another step further and announced a proposed increment of about 150 %. We are of the view that the proposed fees are abnormal especially bearing in mind the fact that the Covid 19 has slowed down the economy”, Hon Chitika said.
Hon. Chitika then said that with the hike, Zambia should forget about achieving the 30 % SADC Women and Youth representation.
“Secondly, We are of the view that these proposed fees will disenfranchise the Women and the Youths. As only the ruling class and the wealthy will field in all the council, parliamentary and Presidential Seats. With the high levels of unemployment and the slow business during and after the Covid 19 where are the Women and Youths who are the majority going to get the money to pay for these high fees to participate? If these proposed fees are approved, Zambia should forget about the SADC 30% Youth and Women Parliamentary representation”, Hon. Chitika said.
Hon. Chitika then said that if they founder members of the MMD knew that Nomination fees would once reach this high,they wouldn’t have fought for the reintroduction of Democracy in Zambia.
“Lastly but not the least, if the founder members of the our Party the MMD knew that one day the nomination fees will be exorbitant and prohibitive, they wouldn’t have fought for the reintroduction of Democracy from the One party state. They believed that participation in the democractic process should not be limited to the rich only but to both the poor and the rich, young and old, women and men, the privileged and unprivileged. In a nutshell, the ECZ proposed fees are a threat to Zambia Democracy”, Hon. Chitika said.
This is meant to get rid of jokers, only serious political parties should participate. Not every Jim and Jack. Who ever has scores to settle rushes to form a kantemba political party. We need serious coalitions of political parties of national character not just regional groupings. We need to develop our country not caderism at the helm of governance.
I agree with Kelvin above. Running a country is not cheap or for cheap standards. If you can’t raise that amount chances are you have financial problems and soon you will put your hands in the cookie jar
This type of thinking is what is called Myopia, who says seriousness will be determined by money. You can be broke but have competencies than what we are seeing now,competent to come and sort out all the failures that we have seen from 2011, were you find positive economic indicators left by MMD and turn every thing negative and then you blame HH, even blame lain meant rain ,Climate change and even Covid which just came in just now, Kwacha was nose diving before Covid, Inflation was the same, reserves were still gone. Pathetic
If ECZ can recruit 15 million Zambian voters within 30days, I wunder why Zambian voters can fail to recruit competent ECZ team within 30 days.
Disband ECZ tomorrow, friday.
Genuine MMD of Nevers Mumba, the late FDD, dyring Rainbow party, dreaming socialist party,shaky NAREP, no direction Golden Party of Zambia and vibrant PAC but with few members, and all other SMALL opposition parties, please regroup or perish. Yes, its democracy but in your own thinking, you expect Zambians to wake up and go vote for you, remember those tuma parties PF pays like YALI, spuki, and that other guy with bad bemba English are voting for PF. Come together now without fail, stop joking around, there is no time to waste, the country is messed up economically and with poor governance record
There is already mediocre leadership in PF like the MP for Sinda who talks rubbish on the floor of the house and is paid trolley loads of tax payers money at the expense the poor people who do not have running water from their taps and a flushing toilet . The worst mediocrity is having the lazy one constantly in the air with a begging basket .Out of the senseless trips he made , nothing has come out of them apart from hotel bills and air mile costs .The money which could have been used to build water treatment plants in Chavuma or even a university .This government is worse than cholera and covid 19 put together
And they see nothing wrong with the discrimination of women being required to pay less?
Ala wansekesha and I am still laughing.. you ve stated the truth and you have a perfect description of Pf government ..lolest..
@Kongo, Sinda MP is independent but heavily aligned to the PF, he won the election because he is a real community member unlike most MPs who live in Lusaka. I woulldn’t be surprised if the PF adopt him to stand on their party next election.
Ba Mayo bachitika mwalakotela mu MMD. There is nothing like New Hope in MMD. Ala mayo ba Mumba tabakwata buyo. There is no future in the current MMD leadership. Bushe umuto fye nefi bondo fya mbushi efyo mwikalile mu MMD? Iminofu na mabu fyonse balipwile ukulya ba Chiluba na Ba Mwanawasa. Tamwashala kantu mu MMD. Ala mayo lolesha kuntanshi. Ifintu ni DP