THE PARALLEL UNIVERSE SERIES
ISSUE NUMBER 5: UNNECESSARY BY-ELECTIONS
Introduction
Last week, yet another opposition member of parliament, Mr. Greyford Monde, was sworn in as deputy minister in the PF administration. As UPND MP for Itezhi-Tezhi, Mr. Monde’s acceptance of his appointment could trigger another by-election at great cost to our development and at the expense of human life. Money that is not spent in a rural community on constructing a simple bridge over a fast-moving stream brought on by the rains could mean another innocent child being swept away to his or her death.
Just this week, an Evelyn Hone college student is reported to have died from dysentery as a result of the poor sewerage system at the institution. Every kwacha spent on unnecessary by-elections takes money away from planned investment in infrastructure, from our health and education sectors and from addressing the persistent load-shedding and the lack of access to safe, clean energy. It affects the timely delivery of inputs to rural farmers and diverts money meant for improving access to safe water and decent sanitation. In short, it retards our national development.
In this fifth instalment of our Parallel Universe Series, I want to take you through the sheer and utter waste and excess that is being promoted by the PF administration in its seemingly tireless crusade to ensure dominance in Parliament. I want to make it clear that not only have the PF been breaking their promises, but that continuing to allow them to manipulate the constitutional rules on by-elections for partisan rather than national interest must be brought to an immediate end. I also want to suggest a practical way in which this can be done.
Why have by-elections when MP’s change camp?
Let me first of all explain the background to the provision in our constitution that triggers a by-election whenever a member of parliament resigns from or ceases to be a member of his or her political party (or when an independent member of parliament joins a political party and vice-versa).
The tradition of parliamentary democracies upholds the principle that a member of parliament is elected by voters in a constituency because he or she is either politically independent or belongs to a particular political party. In theory, therefore, when people turn out to vote, they are electing individuals on the basis of their stated political party loyalties or their independence.
In practice, of course, there are many different motivations for electing candidates. This is especially true in Africa where poverty and isolation from quality education have allowed politicians to exploit vulnerable groups or bulldoze the result they want to see through the illegal deployment of state operatives. In many elections in Zambia, the political party on which a person stands has sometimes been more important than who they are as individuals but this is not always the case.
The official explanation offered by the PF for co-opting opposition MP’s without consulting their party leaderships is that they want to work with everyone to promote national development. Such an explanation is clearly intended to hoodwink the masses. Is the PF really telling us that they have no faith in their own elected members of Parliament? Are they telling us that only opposition members of Parliament have the brains to assist in national development? Really? If I were a PF MP, I would be questioning my own worth being in such a Party.
[pullquote]Subsequent by-elections have seen an increase in the number of PF MP’s to 71 (63 elected and 8 nominated). This has left the PF short by at least 9 MP’s for an overall majority, hence the mad rush to create unnecessary by-elections and to co-opt opposition MP’s into government ranks.[/pullquote]
Here’s the reality. The PF does not have enough MP’s to ensure that it can pass laws and make certain appointments without support from opposition parliamentarians. When the 2011 elections were over, PF had won 60 seats, while the MMD managed to obtain 55. The rest were made up of UPND, FDD, ADD and 3 independents. Two seats were not contested because of the death of two parliamentary candidates just before the election. The 60 seats held by the PF were not enough to form a working majority in the legislature.
To achieve that, they needed to win 80 seats (basically half of 158 MP’s – 150 being elected and 8 being nominated). Subsequent by-elections have seen an increase in the number of PF MP’s to 71 (63 elected and 8 nominated). This has left the PF short by at least 9 MP’s for an overall majority, hence the mad rush to create unnecessary by-elections and to co-opt opposition MP’s into government ranks.
The PF has so far appointed at least 6 non-PF members of parliament as deputy ministers. Once appointed, the will always vote with the ruling party or risk being fired and losing their new-found benefits. As Mr. Sata himself put it when he swore in Mr. Greyford Monde last week: “…. if you think someone says don’t join the government at least me I will provide you with an office, vehicle, driver, fuel which the party you were belonging to didn’t give you”. These words are very telling indeed.
Not only are they a confirmation that it really is all about self and not nation, but they betray the desire for outright parliamentary control. In saying “the party you were belonging to”, President Sata is confirming his desire to poach support from the opposition regardless of any objection from the opposition. This is not about lofty ideals tied to nation-building. Nor is it about securing development for areas that are not controlled by the PF. This is pure politics, nothing more, nothing less. And the more the politics, the less the development.
Ministerial musical-chairs
It is very telling that no member of the opposition appointed by the PF has been considered high-calibre enough to sit in Cabinet. Deputy ministers play a very limited role in governance and their function has become mainly political rather than developmental.
At least when the late former President Levy Mwanawasa poached Dipak Patel from FDD he put him in Cabinet. Further, we should each ask ourselves what exactly a deputy minister does other than earn a salary, travel, draw allowances, chair internal meetings and deliver speeches for his or her minister.
A deputy minister under our constitution and laws is not a true deputy to the minister. He or she does not sit in Cabinet and performs the type of administrative duties that can be undertaken by a permanent secretary or departmental director. This is not to say that better use cannot be made of deputy ministers but their number need not be so high.
The PF had campaigned against the excessive expenditure of the MMD and promised to trim the size of Cabinet. Having started on a positive note, we soon saw a familiar pattern emerge: new ministries were created, old ministries were jumbled up and departments relating to the same sector ended up being divided between two different ministries. For example, child and maternal health are now part of the ministry of Community Development, duplicating some of the functions of the ministry of Health!
[pullquote] Further, we should each ask ourselves what exactly a deputy minister does other than earn a salary, travel, draw allowances, chair internal meetings and deliver speeches for his or her minister.[/pullquote]
What I am about to explain may seem like it is made up but it is not. Before Given Lubinda became an endangered species, he was appointed as the PF’s first minister of Tourism, Information and Broadcasting Services. The Tourism ministry was for the first time combined with Information ministry because in the words of Michael Sata as he made the announcement, Given was himself a “tourist attraction”.
Then lo and behold, within short order, Mr. Lubinda was re-assigned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He did not go alone – the Tourism portfolio was transferred along with him, no doubt in keeping with the idea that he was a tourist attraction. After another short spell, the Tourism ministry was finally released from being personal-to-holder and now stands alone as the ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture. But the ministerial experimentation did not end there. It included combining the ministry of Labour with the ministry of Youth Sport and Child Development – the same ministry of Labour that had been part of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting after Given had been transferred from there.
This was all very confusing for the casual observer and you can imagine how much time, money and effort was wasted just dealing with the administrative arrangements of putting all these arrangements together and then taking them apart before putting them back together again. We were indeed heading towards a masterpiece of confusion!
The harmful distraction of by-elections
The triggering of by-elections by the PF is really a hard slap in the face of the electorate. The incumbent administration is, in effect, telling the people that voted in the last election: we don’t care who you voted for, we have control over the nation’s resources so we will entice whoever we like to join us. The PF knows that by-election turnouts are always low.
They know that if they are only competing in one or two constituencies, they can bring to bear the full effect of the powers they wield as an incumbent administration, and make a go at manipulating the outcome. They know that their agents can break electoral rules with impunity. This is not something new, it has been part of the election rule-book of the political elite in this country since the second term of the MMD.
But what do these engineered by-elections achieve other than the diversion of development resources? They slow down the response time of government to pressing social and economic challenges (because attention is focussed on elections). They also create unnecessary tension and divisions denying the nation a chance to unify around common concerns.
And this is why the comments of some commentators arguing that all is not lost in terms of national resources when a by-election takes place are somewhat misguided. They point out that the constituency undergoing a by-election will receive a short-term boost in economic activity: lodges will be full, fuel suppliers will sell more fuel, shops will sell more merchandise and car hire companies as well as producers of chitenges and tee shirts in the major cities will have more business.
[pullquote]They point out that the constituency undergoing a by-election will receive a short-term boost in economic activity: lodges will be full, fuel suppliers will sell more fuel, shops will sell more merchandise and car hire companies as well as producers of chitenges and tee shirts in the major cities will have more business.[/pullquote]
The problem of course is that few will benefit from short-term election-driven expenditure, whereas many sustainable livelihoods can be created from the construction of all-weather rural roads and many lives could be saved from investment in decent peri-urban and rural healthcare.
The PF administration hardly needs another distraction from performing their governance responsibilities as leaders. Yet they seem to relish these by-election battles. Having spent 10 years trying to wrestle power from a tricky, stubborn and determined MMD, they can’t seem to shake off that “opposition feeling”. One of their first tasks, even after having assumed power, was to petition over one third of the parliamentary seats that had been contested in 2011 and won by other parties, mainly the MMD. They also seemed to be in full support of the rather short-sighted decision to de-register the MMD, an action that would have instantly rendered well over a third of all parliamentary seats vacant.
How any right thinking politician who loves his country would support something like this is hard to understand. If, however, any of you are wondering why after nearly 50 years since Independence, over 60 per cent of our people live in abject poverty at a time when we have one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, why we have no clear policy direction and why our nation is generally characterised by mediocrity, corruption, greed and neglect, look no further than the political leadership which over the years, we have allowed to manipulate power and promote politics at the expense of development.
When will our political leaders understand that triggering unnecessary by-elections is not development? When will they open their eyes and see how much death and deterioration is affecting the lives of ordinary people daily? When will they understand that they were elected to serve people and not themselves? The sad reality is that they may never know unless and until the people make it clear to them that they have had enough. Let all of civil society, all our politicians, all our men, women and children rise up to this challenge. Let us campaign to support an amendment to Article 71(2)(c) of the constitution which triggers a by election whenever a person leaves or is expelled from a political party or when an independent MP decides to no longer be independent (and vice versa) so that we end the heartless manipulation of our constitution now.
[pullquote]Let us campaign to support an amendment to Article 71(2)(c) of the constitution which triggers a by election whenever a person leaves or is expelled from a political party or when an independent MP decides to no longer be independent (and vice versa) so that we end the heartless manipulation of our constitution now.[/pullquote]
The argument that amending the clause on crossing the floor will bring about confusion is not one that is supported by our parliamentary history. The first five years of MMD rule managed quite well on a constitution that allowed an MP to join another political party or become an independent without triggering a by-election.
But that all changed when the Chiluba administration realised they would have an upper hand against any reactionary or independent-minded MP if they introduced such a provision. And indeed, it worked like a charm: few MP’s were prepared to risk a by-election in which they would be mercilessly out-gunned in terms of financial resources.
This is obviously not a permanent solution but would at least enable us to stem the trend of unnecessary electoral expenditure until the rules under the new constitution come into effect. The draft constitution, if implemented, would also put an end to unnecessary by-elections through a mechanism of adopting the runner up in parliamentary elections if there is a sudden vacancy.
Way forward
So what is the way forward? We call upon everyone who wants to fight this abuse of our resources to rise up and support our call for an immediate abolition of the clause in our constitution that requires a by-election when an MP changes political parties. A backbencher in parliament can present a private member’s bill seeking an amendment of Article 71(2)(9).
[pullquote]A backbencher in parliament can present a private member’s bill seeking an amendment of Article 71(2)(9).[/pullquote]
NAREP will play its role in soliciting skills to draft the amendment bill. Civil society can help in sensitizing communities about the cost of inaction. Ordinary Zambians can make sure this remains a topic of discussion whenever they experience load-shedding, whenever they visit a public health institution or travel on a bad road or whenever a Zambian dies from the consequences of political greed and neglect.
The Church can and must speak more loudly about the injustice of placing priority on politics at the expense of development. If everyone plays their part, we can put an end to unnecessary and costly by-elections once and for all.
Elias Chipimo
NAREP President
18 February 2013
Good article kid , and this make real sense, and have not really though it that way. Thanks for the insight , the light bulb in my head has certainly come on.
I think this is a bill that needs to be rushed to parliament the the immunity nonsense. The amount of money that will be saved and the focus the government and our politicians will get in developing our country will be extra -ordinary.
I will be speaking to my colleague to sponsor this motion and we shall see who really cares about saving the much needed resources of our country.
We don’t have to wait for the new constitution. We can do this now.
My main problem with our opposition today and even yesterday when PF was part of it, is that they claim to have hearts and concerns for people’s woes. Yet all we see day in day out is rhetoric and opportunities to take photos where people are suffering!
Elias Chipimo should not just talk about kids being swept away or someone dying at Evelyn Hone, let him get money from his pocket and combine resources with colleagues and even donors to sponsor that same simple foot bridge or an awareness workshop at Hone.
HH has KR360 million, he too is not putting his resources, business acumen, or even his roladex in the international community to good use for people suffering! All we are hearing is that Sata is abusing opposition leader’s human rights
I do believe that the Police are abusing laws and infriging on some rights, but they have been doing so even before PF! Let’s all come out open and honest and clearly state all the abuses even under MMD (Chiluba, Levy and RB).
If we tackle the issue honestlywe stand a chance of overhauling our system and leaving the ruling party with lesser control on the Police or Judiciary!
The only time HH and Nevers are calling for action in Parliament is to fight PF, why cant they mobilise bye laws that benefit us??????
Our opposition today is disappointing to say the least.
Chipimo pull up your socks, stop talking and start acting, start working!!!!
Why cant you float this idea to your colleagues in MMD and UPND. We need that money for serious development
Well tabulated and factual. Zambia has suffered enough and its time we demand what we deserve. We need to be more involved in what is happening in our own country. I support these calls from NAREP!
Too much time on the Computer Kid Chipimo!! Most bloggers here do not vote young man. Find a better way of getting into the hearts of poor Zambians who vote,Not these parallel rubbish you have been writing!! Friendly advice,wikalanda ati tabanjebele ba Mwanamfumu.
Mwanamfumu…..the points that Chipimo is raising are vital ones and affect every zambian……Chipimo is doing a lot to connect with every Zambian rich or poor. He has recently visited all corners of Zambia including remote areas…..I mwan remote deep in the villages.
Thanks for this one. As a one of the credible leaders in the oppostion camp may I suggest, serious dialogue with others to use this appointments as an opportunity to find a balance in power sharing. As you pointed out, we dont need the by elections each time the events mentioned in the article take place. I suppose that opposition MPs can instead be focal points for change if only they understand their purpose in parliament.
Good article, For correction the President didn`t say the party you were belonging to, but said the party you belong to. Listen to the speech again bwana Chipimo.
now ure talking.
good article i support you
Wise words from a wise man. Greed has clouded the minds of our politicians. We need change
Good article.
Elias this is good staff. I wish someone can interpret it in Chibemba so that Sata can learn one or two things from the article.
The opposition need to demonstrate by matching along great east road, we shall join them.
Demonstrations won’t solve anything. Opposition parties need to demonstrate that they are matured enough. Expelling their members at will, is putting them at disadvantage. Don’t just expel any member who joins the government. Why not wait till their term of office is over.
The opposition parties have been shouting loudest about PF government being undemocratic but they themselves are not democratic.
They, opposition parties, can not fight a decent battle if they surround themselves with poor, uncultivated generals.
good article Presikdent chipimo…indeed we have leaders with misplaced priorities…kuddo!!
some 5 or so years ago the cost of a bye-election was about K2 billion or (KR 2 million). this the money spent by ECZ. Add to that the cost of government officials that use government vehicles and resourses to support the rulinng party. It would have been nice if Elias could get these cost estimates just to illustrate his point. having said this, i doubt whether his proposed solution will be in the interest of democracy. Given that most MPs are so poor and spineless, most of them will join the wining party soon after elections without fear of any sanctions from the sponsoring party which is not fair. sponsoring candidates is expensive (except for ruling parties which rob us of our resources).
these bye-election can be minimised if the incentive for crossing over is removed. Most MP do not change parties out of conviction, if that was the case we would not have this problem. One incentive that can be removed is to make the candidate who resigns to joint another party inelligible to to constect any elected office within that term of parliament. This will aboviously not remove all the incentive for cross-overs since govt is now sending politicains into foreign service. But even that can be elliminated if they are barred from being appointed in government positions.
in the post above -constect = contest
@Walasa; your misgivings are correct. This is not an easy one solution fits all cases. We are in agreement that the by-election provision in the constitution has been abused and so an amendment is in order. To let sitting MP’s cross the flow willy-nilly without penalties will create a field day. To just penalise those MP’s crossing the floor alone will create a large pool of independents who will collude with the party in power when voting. It is messy but definately needs reforming. The problem with Zambian politics is that only a few concerned Zambians would be prepared to agitate and apply pressure for change. This is one for opposition parties and civil society groupings to champion and senstise the public and change this pervassive practice which is denying us of developmental…
The best way is to make a Law, that if an MP decides to crosses camp, the next runners-up should automatically take up as MP, since he/she was the next popular candidate in that Constituency. And this nonsense will stop!.
What we need in the constitution is that whenever an MP willingly resigns, they should not be a byelection, instead the party holding that position must appoint another MP to represent them untill the next elections. This will stop all this nonses and MP’s will be more loyal to their party. This can remove useless politicians like Munkombwe, Namulambe, monde, and that boy the exam cheat I forgotten his name, the deputy for youth and sport?
ELO LWANYA PEPEPEPEPEPEPE
@Steven – your suggestion sounds reasonable to me at least
Good stuff Chipimo, now my advice is call upon other political parties such as MMD and UPND and share the info and ideas you have…the problem is you will realize that HH and Mumba might not be for the idea…that will then be a plus for you since people who vote will see that greed and selfishness is the main core of HH and Mumba. You will have back up by 2016 if you start approaching the masses now.
PATIENCE
“But let patience have her perfect work” (James 1:4 KJV)
God, as you know, is a God of patience (Rom. 15:5). He is longsuffering to us, not willing
that any should perish, but all come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9). His Holy Spirit also produces
patience within us (Gal. 5:22), and this patience enables us to “possess our souls” (Lk. 21:19). Like
a farmer waits patiently for the early and latter rain, we are also to be patient because the coming
of the Lord is near (James 5:8).
Now let us apply this principle to the commission of Christ to His followers to evangelize the
world. Jesus commanded His disciples to go to “all nations” (Matt. 28:19); “all creation” (Mk.
16:15); “all nations” (Lk. 24:47); “the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Yet, some ten years later
we are told…
dont@chipimo
#17, your suggestion sucks! 🙁 If Chipimo teams up with MMD or UPND even the ruling party in any way, honestly speaking he will be doomed. His party needs to be differentiated from the opposition, it needs to be distinct. Just look at MMD and UPND, the don’t even know where they are or where they are going. If chipimo can market himself now, his party may just be the biggest opposition in the country after 2016.
Leaderships involves serious consultations
@Steven, Amen to that. You have literally made a conclusion for Chipimo. Your suggestion is something that can work perfectly well!!
But why do you oppose your fellow opposition?
Why side with them? He’s not supposed to agree to all the the opposition party’s views just because they are in opposition. He risks staining his party with tribal politics and hate, in addition that would make him a ‘political puppet’ and not a leader!
But aba nabo! Parellel something is history, just say what you think and maybe refer to that as history. What is current is the Mailoni triplets which will soon be history too. Learn to move with time. Yaba just when we think some opposition is thinking.
by crossin the floor an mp should be deemed serving his second term . In short reducing his life span in parly. 2 term for mps must be inacted. These mps are in parly for nothing but monthly percks
Elias Chipimo stands out from the crowd of the opposition parties and can definitely make a good president compared to most of his peers.
Mr Chipimo the time to convince Zambians that you are a credible leader is now, continue making criticisms where they are due and avoid denting your party’s image with tribal politics. In addition, let your party be differentiated from the other parties through its ability to focus and represent Zambians’ interests. It may be a good idea to exploit the existing opportunities in the political field ‘now’ as most of the opposition parties are in a serious state of chaos.
Good Luck!
NAREP is a party that appeals to middle and a few upper classes (who do not fear to lose out on their privileges). Unfortunately, though this group understands world events and logical thinking, this group does not have the critical numbers to swing and decide an election as opposed to western countries where you find politicians like Obama or Cameron trying to woo the middle classes. Unfortunately, the Zambian political landscape is skewed towards the gullible semi educated to illiterate. You just have to look at the statistics of the last few elections to see that the elections were won and lost in rural areas where the polemics that NAREP are engaging in play very little relevance. Instead of targeting the middle classes only using this technology, take this debate to the grassroots.
ok, so what’s your suggestion? To team up with the other bunch??? Thumbs up ANDERAS, good points!
The action segments of these observations show what you ‘could’ be doing Elias. As there are more to come may I humbly state what ‘could be’ more effective is if you break the mould and begin to act on the ground. Set up your NEEP, consult and begin your amendment challenge not just from the legal aid angle but on the ground activation if it something you truly believe in, take little steps and gain genuine mileage on the ground. You once wanted to write the book Wasted Talent alongside Presidential ambition. It is actually what drives you to see Wasted Talent that can kick start movement on the ground. What might seem a deviation from the path is actually a much needed political strength and will resonate and translate across generations and income groups. Be the difference.
The biggest problem we have in Zambia is politicians who always think they will be in power forever. So any loophole in our mostly “WEAK CONSTITUTION” is politically exploited for wanton reasons rather than national building.
I also doubt opposition leaders and their MPs in parliament would support these ideas. They do not want to “kill the goose that laid the golden egg!” This is the same reason why you see most opposition leaders say very little against the seemingly endless “powers invested in the presidency” in our Constitution—they all fantasize about using these powers if and when they capture plot 1.
Elias, what you have raised are critical issues that deserve serious attention, but we have too few good men/women among our politicians who can see beyond their noses!
Chipimo Walasa,thats why give hats off to Muchima the man did well for not wanting to cause unnecessary bye elections.The man no matter what can win an election whether independent or whatever.Foolish Masumba and stupid kayekesi start playing games.Satana you were fooled by ka small CNP.Normal person listening to a faker.Well done Chipimo but you also Chipimo try to support your fellow oppositions not lets go to Brazil you are there Tulakumwenamo.namulambe will be beaten by Chilufya.Viva Chillufya
is Chipimo saying that an MP who crosses parties keeps his/her seat in parliament? if that is the case, we can forget about having opposition MPs as they will all cross to the ruling party and there will be no re-course to them. one blogger has suggested a great idea where we can have the MP that resigns from his/her party not illigible to stand in any election during the term of parliament. but the question still remains, how do we fill the vacany left? we have to be careful there again because if we say that we pick a runners up, the runners up will likely be from the ruling party!!!! so the ruling party can still instigate resignations knowing that theirs runner up candidate will automatically become MP. i think we need a little bit of soul searching on how to avoid these by-elections
The concept should be;
– MP works with govt but keeps his loyalty and also acts as a conduit to bring to light his party’s developmental objectives to the rest of GRZ.
– Sharing common goals for the advancement of the state and its people.
– GRZ funded programs handled by opposition MPs to have MoUs, allowing their party’s contribution in ensuring transparency/accountability and fruition of projects.
By-elections can be very emotive. Democracy costs money. Without them, there is no democracy. Zambia is clearly a vibrant democracy. Leaders are coming and going freely. I mean all leaders, including honorable members of pa If you economize democracy in a country, then you will pay more in the long run. In a democracy, a political party is a group of free individuals sharing certain political beliefs, convictions and ideas. When the given party member disagrees with the conduct of her/his political party or its leadership, then the right thing to do is to resign in order to pave way for pursuing alternative methods of addressing national development issues. Waiting for five years before changing parties represented in parliament as is the case in certain other countries is anti-democratic
Chipimo.. Thats Politics PF Is practising, why spend your precious time bitching about your friends strategy.!
@jinx , you are talking sense,
A very well thought out article Mr President. I do not how any one in this case would say that you simply oppose and do not offer solutions. The wrongs have been pointed out and recommendations made and it is therefore now time to implement.
I would like to believe that enough people who have read this article have backbencher colleagues in parliament whom they can lobby to present such a motion for amending the said atrocious Article 71(2)(9). If parliament should adjourn sine die without this happening, my belief would be that everyone in the parliament looks forward to a ministerial appointment regardless the consequences.
Aluta Continua (The struggle continues)
excellent article
We should submit tt thties sat only political partie should contest in any election as opposed to individual politicians and presidential candidates.Now the party that wins in a given constituency should elect or appoint their prefearrable individual to represent the people in parliament.Same applies to the president,the party the ganners majority votes nationally should come up with the president or prime minister who will form government.In case of an MP resigning the winning party in that constituency still retains the sit by appointing or holding intra party elections for an mp and similarly if the president dies or resigns the ruling party can hold intra party elections for the president or prime minister.In this case royalty to the respective parties will be guarantteed and diciplin
Good analysis Mr. President. Let him who has ears, listen!
Mr Elias Chipimo stands out from the crowd of the opposition parties and can definitely make a good president compared to most of his peers.
Mr Chipimo the time to convince Zambians that you are a credible leader is now, continue making criticisms where they are due and avoid denting your party’s image with tribal politics. In addition, let your party be differentiated from the other parties through its ability to focus and represent Zambians’ interests. It may be a good idea to exploit the existing opportunities in the political field ‘now’ as most of the opposition parties are in a serious state of chaos.
Good Luck!!!
NAREP is a party with GREAT ZAMBIAN ideas. Make no mistake, Elias Chipimo is the president of the present times and its challenges. Lets support good ideas and put people who can hold a press conference for the people, not swearing in ceremonies.
Lets remove SATA!!!
I have a dream, NAREP is the party which will open eyes of the people. GO CHIPIMO, GO NAREP!!!
WE ZAMBIANS BOTH HERE AT HOME AND ABROAD, LETS COME TOGETHER AND SUPPORT PROGRESSIVE IDEAS. LETS SUPPORT NAREP WITH ALL OUR MIGHT, ZAMBIA WILL BE A GREAT PLACE. FROM NOW ON, AM NOT ASHAMED TO BELONG TO NAREP!!!
Thankyou Elias Chipimo for making me reliase that the best best way to approach a fool is to be calm and educative!”””
This is an excellent article which brought up a lot of pertinent issues, except that being a politician you have politicised it.
The Govt appoints opposition MP into Govt, then is expelled prompting bye election. Don’t politicise because the Govt equally needs best brains to serve the nation regardless of party of affiliation. His party is right to fire him because they are the sponsors but don’t own him. The MP is created by God and free to use talents given to serve humanity. Faith without work is dead. Bye elections in democracy are reality and if avoided as President Chipimo is suggesting, he and H H will run to Commonwealth alledging rights abuse. Deputy Ministers or large cabinet should be justified to Zambians, eg Gender Ministry which other countries in SADC have refused to…
The Govt appoints opposition MP into Govt, then is expelled prompting bye election. Don’t politicise because the Govt equally needs best brains to serve the nation regardless of party of affiliation. His party is right to fire him because they are the sponsors but don’t own him. The MP is created by God and free to use talents given to serve humanity. Faith without work is dead. Bye elections in democracy are reality and if avoided as President Chipimo is suggesting, he and H H will run to Commonwealth alledging rights abuse. Deputy Ministers or large cabinet should be justified to Zambians, eg Gender Ministry which other countries in SADC have refused to ratify.
This beloved nation can be changed if we all became patriotic to our country and put the interest of our less privillenged nationals before self. We have everything but very poor and substandard living environments and this makes me very annoyed for like of a better word. That’s why am involved in politics and if you are concerned get involved.
“The draft constitution, if implemented, would also put an end to unnecessary by-elections through a mechanism of adopting the runner up in parliamentary elections if there is a sudden vacancy.”
Rather what would be ideal is to allow the party under which the resigning, defecting or dead MP served, for that party to nominate a replacement within its ranks. Elections should only be held in the case of an independent who would not have a nominee to be replaced with in case of resignation, death or defection.
If MPs switched parties without losing their seats, we would end up back with a one party state. The allure of being in the ruling party would eventually lead to mass defections from the opposition. This would be more costly for the nation.
Great stuff Mr Chipimo. Well Said!
The first sentence caught my attention and i was able to finish it.That is how you write articles. you have raised a lot of valid points.Thumps up to you Chipimo.
Chipimo’s article is fraud. No need to amend the article or constitution. politicians are the one who needs change, they need to be disciplined. People vote based on manifesto as acknowledged by Chipimo himself and if mp elected then the majority voted him on those promises. If the mp dies, resigns or switches side let the people choose their leader it’s there fundamental right in a democratic society. imposing a leader defects the purpose of democrancy . In a democratic society the majority rules, .It’s an article without deep thoughts unfortunately as a person inspiring for high office he should not give room to err himself on such important issues. It’s not about the money, it’s about the fundamental rights enshrined in a democratic constitution and the right to excercise those…
mulanda fye ati lets support this idea taficitika
Why is Chipimo deliberately ignoring the constitution which gives powers to the president to appoint any member of parliament irrespective of the party he belongs to, into cabinet. By- elections can be avoided if the opposition parties acts responsibly instead of rushing to expel their MP’s for exercising their constitutionals rights by accepting positions in government.
All this parallel universe is just nonsense conjured up to hoodwink people as if the laws of the land have been broken by the appointment. Chipimo will fade quicker on the political scene if he continues with parallel thing, the MMD set a precedent by appointing MP’s from opposition, why it has become illegal under PF is what he should explain and quote the law instead of giving suggestions which have no practical…
Coming second in an election should never be used a way of picking an MP just to avoid a by- election. People rejected that person for a good democratic reason, why impose him on the people when they do not agree with his/her politics? Some people base their politics on tribal hatred and people rejects them for that and the government should not take away peoples constitutional rights to choose freely their representatives in parliament. Chipimo’s suggestions are undemocratic and will promote assassinations, people will do anything when they are power hungry!
Thanks for the good writeup. It in fact used to be a leisure account it. Glance complicated to far delivered agreeable from you! By the way, how can we keep in touch?
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