ECZ Chief Electoral Officer Brown Kasaro said the commission is considering raising the fee from K95,000 to K100,000, noting that there appears to be consensus between the commission and political parties on the proposed adjustment.
Mr Kasaro, however, said nomination fees for lower elective positions, including National Assembly, mayoral and councillor seats, are still under review following submissions from various political parties.
The proposals were discussed during a high-level consultative meeting between the commission and political parties.
Meanwhile, Mr Kasaro said political parties raised concerns over delays in updating records of office bearers. He said the commission has committed to engage the Registrar of Societies to address challenges in registering and updating party leadership details.
He added that the commission will also consult the Office of the Attorney General to seek clarity on the constitutional requirement that a presidential candidate must be “ordinarily resident” in Zambia, noting that the definition and required period of residency remain unclear.
Mr Kasaro further said verification of Grade 12 certificates for aspiring candidates will be conducted by the Examinations Council of Zambia, either online or physically, to authenticate results.
On the requirement for candidates to have at least 100 supporters in each province, he explained that the commission has introduced an administrative arrangement allowing political parties to process their supporters within respective provinces.
He said parties opting for this arrangement must notify the commission in writing and pay the nomination fee by April 29 to facilitate the process.
“This is an administrative arrangement, it’s not mandatory. If they want, they can bring those supporters to Lusaka on nomination day. The pre-processing is for their convenience,” he said.
Mr Kasaro said the commission will reconsider submissions from political parties regarding nomination fees for lower elective positions and will communicate a final position by April 30.
With all the highly educated and professionals and knowledgeable leaders we have/had
It is possible that a person with none of the above qualifications but good common sense, morals and the right team do a far better job than what we seeing now
150000 would be more realistic