The Non Governmental Organization Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has wondered why President Rupiah Banda is reluctant to announce the election date when the Electoral Commission of Zambia has stated that the voter register will be ready on the 31st of July, 2011.
NGOCC Board Chairperson Beatrice Grillo says the delay in announcing the date of elections is causing unnecessary anxiety in the country.
Mrs. Grillo says it is either the president announces the date of the elections or the ECZ states that it is not yet ready to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.
Speaking to QFM, Mrs. Grillo observed that early announcement of the election date will help create a levelled playing field for all players in the preparation of the forthcoming general election.
The NGOCC Board Chairperson has since appealed to Republican president Rupiah Banda to announce the election date on take for people to plan well.
Last week President Rupiah Banda appealed to Zambians, especially politicians, to exercise patience and allow the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) and other institutions involved in organising elections to carry out their duties without undue pressure.
Mr Banda said that announcing the date of elections was done in consultation with all key stakeholders, especially ECZ that was mandated to run elections in Zambia.
President Banda further said ECZ had not yet compiled the final voters’ roll following the verification exercise which ended on June 12, 2011 and all mistakes had since been corrected.
The president reiterated that he would only announce the date for the presidential, parliamentary and local government elections once all logistics were in place.
QFM
the ecz is HOPING the register will be finalized on 31 july. different from the actual observation that  it HAS been finalized
#1 Nicely put. hoping to finalize is not the same as finalized and why should the entire president plan around a probability estimation. No wonder this woman is such a loser. And If I may ask what has come of her GREEN LABEL Campaign? Am sure it has lamentably failed and no surprising their because all life life she just plans on speculations and not facts. You thought the constitution was like the 2001 third term bid and your GREEN RIBBON Campaign will work and Zambians again have defied you and shown you that they have moved on. Just like some people think this is 1991 and again they will be shocked. Zambians have moved on.Â
What is wrong with you that you always have to find something with which to negate even the straight forward positivity? We need the Election date announced … we can’t keep on leaving in anticipation. So, the lady is such a loser just because she has voiced out on behalf of an ordinary Zambia person? Wow … you never cease to amaze me with your “bootlicking”.
The issue is not about this lady but announcing the elections date iwe chsushi chobe. Not all of us are bootlickers, some of us are hardworking Zambians who want to see a better future for our children. These are the same draconian issues we sent Chiluba and Kaunda packing. No democratic dispensations, compromised media, political harrasments, centralised management of resources and govt contracts, useless and politically managed judiciary,corruption, the list goes on. We dont need such dangerous banana bafoons in govt.
For sure!!! people should start questiong why it is taking so long to announce.Let people know the date soon so that they prepare.
No drama,announce the election date so you can leave plot one asap.never proud to have you as president.
ECZ will surely finalize the register. RB should just be responsible enough to announce the date so that all stakeholders are ready for that day. May be its hard now to find new dribbling tactics.
A responsible leader with constitutional powers to do the nation justice would not announce election date when the electoral body is not done with its logistical work. Tripartite elections are not like a stage managed Poor Finishers’ Party Parody without votes held at Mulungushi 2 weeks ago. In national democratic elections logistics have to be fully and successfully deployed inn all over 3000 plus polling stations. What will it do the nation if RB became reckless like Sata and call for elections without ECZ being ready? If anything, he is acting within the frames of the constitution. PF is scared that its money donated by mujaheddin terrorists in Afghanistan will have finished if another month goes on.Â
As long as the president is acting within the time that he is allowed under the constitution, I dont see what the noise is all about. Some of these unelected NGO personnel who have unilaterally given themselves a mandate to speak on my behalf have to make some noise every so often to massage their own egos and justify their existence.
There is no mandate that explains when the election date ought to be announced by, however obviously in the interest of the public perharps it worth announcing them
The bottomline is that the MMD will announce when it suits them, and righfully so. Why give an edge to the opposition, not that I agree with it but these people are better off organising themslves in anticipation of the elections rather than coming out with statemnets because they can.
Stop comparing Zambia with US, Britain on the way elections are held because Zambia is poor and will remain so. Most of its leaders are corrupt and are serving their own interest at best. Thanks
only after 24th october can you expect that date to be announced.
At this stage it is folly for anone to think that RB’s reluctance to announce election date is an act of responsibility.The MMD govt has not even gone so far as to act in a way as to try and give confidence to the electorate in as far as announcing election date is concerned.Somewhere it is said that justice must not just be done but it must seen to be seen to be done!So far, RB has only responded to MCS’s provocative speech on the same.Has RB acted in clear and in no uncertain terms to restrain his ministers from taking advantage of the delayed announcement by campaigning on grz time and tax payers money?Has RB taken into consideration that businesses require time and planning to avert any negative vibes that may result from an election?
Please remember that many Zambians today desire that the election date must be set in the constitution with clear guidelines about when elections should be held without depending on the biased thinking of politicians that hold office.Ladies and gentlemen, democracy is a moral issue.If you, in whose power it is do not realise the extent of the temerity of your decisions, there remains no hope for the masses.I hope to God that the president and all well meaning Zambians will look deep in their hearts and find a place for moral uprightness to rest its head.President Rupiah Bwezani Banda must show leadership on this issue without falling for the temptation of being political.
# 10,
In Zambian business is as usual while personal and public development remains unprecedented. Investors confidence and the entrepreneurship spirit is at record highest. Zambians by nature are not political vultures but rational actors. The forth coming tripartite is nothing but another usual democratic practice that with manageable risks. Its an act of concert and renewal of performers. People have seen the need for RB to accelerate his record achievement in just 2 years.
The forth coming tripartite is nothing but another usual democratic practice we undergo every 5 years. Zambian see it as a practice with with manageable risks. Its an act of concert and renewal of mandate for performers. People have seen the need for RB to continue and respectively accelerate his record achievement realized in just 2 years.
Besides it all, political parties have not even finished their nomination processes or deployment of logistics around the country not even regional parties that only field in their villages only. Mind you that other than the people’s national ruling MMD, competitors have no presence or structures in all constituencies around the country.Democracy dictates that RB gives them chance to deploy and establish their structures in all parts of the country otherwise, he be accused of a snap election with giving opponents ample time.
Besides it all, political parties have not even finished their nomination processes or deployment of logistics around the country not even regional parties that only field in their villages only. Mind you that other than the people’s national ruling MMD, competitors have no presence or structures in all constituencies around the country.Democracy dictates that RB gives them chance to deploy and establish their structures in all parts of the country otherwise, he be accused of a snap election without giving opponents ample time.
What is so hard of putting a date in the constitution? Kwena power is sweet.:d
Dont try to point to ECZ, they have finished that verification exercise long time, what is hard about comparing names on a list. Also very few pipo bothered to do that verification. At our polling station only about 20 pipo turned up and this is in makeni, lusaka.
With all your ‘precedented levels’ of development, RB you should be confident enough to call the game or are scared and waiting to see if any more high profile names are leaving you MMD ?
Pleas Mr bussinesman RB, tell us that date your tenure begins to end
Mushota # 8, You a are dog or beach!! Leave Zambia alone nad let us struggle for our freedom.
Mushota @8 point accepted. Why announce an election date that will only disadvantage the ruling party? Probably RB will only announce the date when adoption of candidates in the MMD has been done. Until then, no elections date.
he is just inviting more problems for himself because much of what he is doing abuse! time for reckoning is dawning!
Can someone please educated this woman at NGOCC please.
First does she understand what the word delay means?? Delay means to exceed a particular time (period) which was expected. Can this lady at NGOCC tell on what date the president is supposed to announce the elction date, so that it is not only her secret knowledge but that all of us may know so that we can all be in position to tell whether the president has delayed or not? We also want to know when the schedule she is using is a national schedule or an NGOCC schedule which has not been made public.
The NGOCC must also tell us what constitution is being used for her reference, is it NGOCC constitution of that of the Republic?
It has been said that the mmd knows that,for them to win this election,it will cost them a fortune,this is why rbish is delaying to announce the election date so that the mmd can make use of the government resources in the name of ministerial trips.For instance,Dora went to CB in her capacity as Minster of Education,but her message was purely campaigning for mmd, oh my foot, for Sata. It is amazing that they are openly admitting to abusing government resources as in the case of ZNBC and yet on this forum,some scared job seeking people like Snr Citizen and mmd Chief bootlicker, come out so strong in defending such corrupt actions.
after 2nd october, the president will be occupying plot illegally. for me i dont see anything wrong with him not annoucing but my only worry is that his ministers must not use governmnet money to campaign thats is wrong and whoever is in power must be able to respect that there is a line between the party and government. though i will still vote for mmd, i still feel on governnance issues the mmd have not done good as compared to economics.
Can someone please educate this woman at NGOCC please.
First, does she understand what the words reluctancy and delay mean?? Delay and reluctancy means to exceed a particular time (period) in which something was expected done. Can this lady at NGOCC tell on what date the president is supposed to announce the election date, so that it is not only her secret knowledge but that all of us may know so that we can all be in position to tell whether the president has delayed or not? We also want to know when the schedule she is using is a national schedule or an NGOCC schedule which has not been made public.
The NGOCC must also tell us what constitution is being used for her reference, is it NGOCC constitution of that of the Republic?
@8 Mushota, nice blog. @14 Senior Citizen, mature contribution. In any case has RB contravened any part of the constitution which he swore to uphold by not announcing that date for elections? We all know that this years elections will be held under a constitution which does not have a specific elections date embedded/enshrined therein. As a matter of fact all political players should use this remaining time to iron out any impediments and reach other far flang areas they may not have reached yet. As for NGOs may they just continue with their mandate of sensitising the masses particularly in rural areas.
It is very sad that NGOCC, a serious national coordination body, is being led by a woman who can’t even understand English. If the Elections Commission say they will complete their work on 31st July, it means that they are not ready YET…..which in turn means Rupiah can’t announce the election date. What is wrong with people???? This woman with a strange name must be kicked out of that important post. Why try to politicize even straightforward facts. If somebody says I will arive tomorrow, does it mean they have arrived? That is being silly… I wish some people just shut up instead of talking just for the heck of it.
There is everything tangibly wrong with Rupiah’s incompetent & corrupt manner of running this country. The people of Zambia are wholly fed up with his stinking corrupt practices & completely useless trips which are draining the coffers of state. Come elections day, & that it must this year come what may, he will find himself jobless & facing prosecution. Even at his age, he must know that a kite with no wind to keep it airborne isn’t going anywhere but the ground, & that’s his destiny. When you know that your re-election prospects are flatlining on the table, it’s time to agree to call it a day other than engaging in stinking acts like delaying dissolution of a sine die adjourned parliament to facilitate abuse of govt funds, that will only give rise to prosecution.
Never before has any of the past presidents held the nation to ransom regarding the announcement of the election date. The ‘stakeholders and logistics’ excuse is utter nonsense and Zambians must be vigilant because one day soon you will wake up and be told elections won’t be held this year because you are not ready. This is Africa, anything goes.
Kunta Kinte, You can make your damn point other than insulting Beatrice just because she is a woman and has a name that in your opinion sounds “strange”. Besides, your name too is strange because it is Manding and there are zero Mandingos in Zambia. If your tribal bigotry has blinded you to reality and you cannot even smell the nauseating excrement of a “monkey toilet” – Kanitundila’s pit latrine acrobatics, then you can go f**k yourself and leave Beatrice alone. And one does not need to be a Sangoma to figure out that you are a “Kumawalese” because no sensible person whose heard is not saturated with tribal bigotry can support this abuse of state resources facilitated by the sustenance of a sine die adjourned house. Â
2nd october no one is legally supposed to hold any public office but there is no change of government as far as i see what change are we talking about if all we see are defections from one party to another. count for me how many of the so called PF and UPND were not in MMD so what change. Sir come 3rd October we will be nafuti nafuti but work on the governance system for the country otherwise economically you done better than governance
BE ASSURED THAT ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD THIS YEAR. MMD STILL WINNING BY WIDER MARGIN. RB HAS MANAGED TO LIFT THE COUNTRY TO MIDDLE INCOME OOH ONLY SHORT SIGHTED CITIZENS CANT SEE. THERE IS SO MUCH IN THIS COUNTRY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE STRATEGIES TO DEVELOP. NO PRESIDENT WILL ENRICH ANYBODY, POVERTY IS IN THE MINDS OF FAILURES. MAY SATAN REST IN PEACE.
# 26 Kunta Kinte – I for one cannot see the relevance of this analogy you draw in #26 to the subject matter “If somebody says I will arive tomorrow, does it mean they have arrived?”. Ni kupusa ngako uku! What manner of a moron are you? It irritates me to think that a noble site like this one can have such a scatterbrained fool like you creeping around smearing matubi and stinking xenophobia on it. Wanya mambala iwe!Â
This Beatrice has nothing to say. Doesn`t she know that the president has the constutitional power to decide the date of elections? RB is acting within the law. In fact, if he want, he can let parliament disolve itself by the operation of the law. Pliz NGOs do not just speak research before you open your mouth.
The election date shall be announced when our now uniformed cabinet ministers have finished inspecting developmental projects they are calling Sata!
‘Junior citizen’ or senior, whatever you call yourself,why do you always bring the name of SATA in anysubject matter? are you also a cadre or maybe you are thinking how you will face the person you hate most when he become the REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT? if you are used to BOMA in BOMA kind of arrangement,i think this is the best time for you to start looking for something better to do. As for the NGOCC chairperson,live her alone she is very very right after all she is a citizen of this country, maybe more of a citizen than yourself
we all know its election year so why blame the president for not electing early just wait elections are around the corner
Senior Citizen so it not true that you are dead as FTJ? Welcome back
Everyone knew that 2011 was election year. So why not announce the date in January and all logistical preparations and Party Conventions follow from there? Governments in Africa like to hold the election day ‘card’ to their chest – thinking it gives them an advantage or opportunity to conjour up some rigging ideas. To who’s advantage is all the uncertainity and speculation? Currencies have been known to devalue in the face of such political ‘pussy footing’ about.
Iwe chi Senior citizen ,even in marriage ,you strike no child ,strike no child and your wife says i will be pregnat after 9 yrs ,what? You will definately kick her out ,Why is this talk of development now,it means it could have been done before .Which countru was he staying him .Democracy in Zambia has passed the morphomosis stage .We gve one chance and one chance only .I dont care who comes in ,but no=t MMD FULL STOP.
President RB must announce the date of elections on 24th October., during the independence celebrations.
Leave RB alone. RB is doing everything possible for all Zambians. It is not a question of seeing someone getting to plot 1 but the developmental projects like RB has done
Annoucing the election date is not only a moral issue but an avt of statemanship. Unfortunately all this is lacking in our current President. Its is therefore folly for anyone to expect that RB will listen to the masses and annouce the election date when he his least prepared to do so. Remember, the elction date is tied to the dissolution of parliament, and the dissolution of parliament will curtail those “inspecting government projects” to using taxpayers money. RB and MMD will want to fully use our money to advantage them.
Gentlemen power is sweet This RBsh canot be trusted he can do anything any time. Just look at what is happening with his MPs campaigning using public resources. That Kitwe mayor was reported to the police on false allegation, I am sure. Where have MMD MPs gotten the money?
Its unforyunate that our leaders dont heed advice.This is the same thing happened when some sectors of the society came out against holding NCC. Election is not only for ECZ or MMD but every registered voter. People need to plan well in advance. Others registred in different places and have made movements. Politics is about numbers. I dont know why our leaders like causing tension for nothing. Dissolving cabinet / parliament is a problem as well. Where are we heading to. When our leaders hold their political rallies there is nothing new they are offering the electrolates. Is all personal RB has done this or Sata cant do this HH is a tribalists. There is need to rebrand our politiking to make sense and exciting. Even when goes to polling station to cast vote for prefered candidate b happy
But has RB abrogated any law in the constitution for people to get excited?Infact this so called ‘delay’ is for people like cobra to reconcile with the zambians over his homo allegiance, other than him and his cohorts barking this hymn on the election date everyday.
No one has stoped the Opposition from campaigning. The opposition are just panicking because they know the process has been transparent and have no excuse for losing. Viva RB
Why should the president have the power to announce the date. The constitution needs to be changed all we have to know is that every November after 5 years we have elections. Obviously RB is taking advantage of this, nonsense!
How many of you bloggers are registered voters and went to verify your details at polling stations. I hope its not just hot armchair critics. I have take a break to the rural setting and explain why they should vote for the chaps from urban areas who only appear when its election time. For those who live in Lusaka urban etc and hoping to be voted in rural constituences they are in for it. We are encouraging rural voters to vote those who are residents in their constituences. They question they should ask them ” WHY NOT STAND IN LUSAKA CENTRAL IF YOU RESIDE IN KABULONGA, RHODES PARK ETC. Political merceneries from urban areas are the ones responsible for rural underdevelopment. Just do an audit of current MPs 90% are urban based and are cut off from the voters most of the time.
Why NorthWestern cant develop. Simple political reason and MPs are to blame coz most of them are Lusaka based.
Charles Kakoma (Zambezi West) S Syafwanda (Zambezi East) K Konga (Chavuma), K Pande (Kasempa) E. Muchima (Mwinilunga West) S Katuuka (Mwinilunga East) Watson Lumba (Solwezi Central) Mwanza (Solwezi West)except for Richard Taima (Solwezi East) Daniel Kalenga (Kabompo West). R Mukuma (Kabompo East) and E Kamwendo for Mufumbwe. A look at all aspiring candidates they are all from Lusaka except for a few. These men will never take development to rural N/Western they are there for their stomaches nothing else. We know them coz we live with them. Let them become parmanent residents of the constituences they represent and re-contest. Audit their achievements in the past 5years.
The best thing would be to assign a day, say the last Friday of September, in the constitution. The date would not work becausew it may fall either on Saturday or Sunday.
please go RB we are behind you.The president for all zambians.We are are happy with your projects and the vision for this for this country.
Delay does not only mean having time affixed to something. It can also mean “time during which some action is awaited” as the all nation has been made to do by this scam bug. Check your English, wackos.
You bet Bwezani would like to have the elections on “September 31”, and then get his relative Sakalanyongo to declare him the winner.
that looks like the face of another ignorant dimwit woman. i am glad that she is an ngocc officer, imagine what government would be run like if there were just three of her type as cabinet ministers? hasn’t she ever heard of unforeseen circumstances? what happens if the date for elections is announced but the ecz does not finish compiling the voters register? can you imagine the chorus of satanic voices about rb’s incompetence?
woman, you have missed the pf boat where plunderers are regrouping, jump in now so that we capsize the boat and drown all of you together come election 2011. plunderers are not fit for our society, they belong to the seabed!
#32 Your comment is stupid. This site is for people with divergent views and if an opinion differs from yours does not make it bad. Comments given here are just opinions and not facts. They should not in anyways infuriate a right thinking human being. Grow up.