The Anti-Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) has commended President Edgar Lungu for assuring the autonomy of the Electoral Commission of Zambia as the country heads towards the 2021 general elections.

Copperbelt AVAP Regional Coordinator Foster Jumbe says the pronouncement by the President clears the suspicions that some electoral stakeholders had on the commission and the ruling party.

“The pronouncement by the President is timely and will instill people’s confidence in the country’s electoral process as it eliminates negative suspicious that some electoral stakeholders had in the commission and the PF,” Mr. Jumbe said.

He noted that the accusations that some stake holders are making against the Commission and the Patriotic Front can cause voter apathy as people would be discouraged to vote if they begin to think that the commission decides who should win an election through rigging.

Mr. Jumbe said negative statements against the commission are a danger to the country’s democracy and can even disrupt the peace that the country is enjoying.

And in a separate interview, Operation Young Vote Copperbelt coordinator Guess Nyirenda said the pronouncement by the President is timely and welcome.

Mr. Nyirenda said the pronouncement will also instill confidence in the Electoral Commission of Zambia as the country draws closer to the general elections in August next year.

He however urged the commission to be seen to be independent in its actions on the ground.

“The commission should not only be independent on paper but it should also be seen to be independent in its actions,” he said.

Yesterday President Edgar Lungu said he will ensure that ECZ operates independently from any political interference.

Meanwhile, Kabompo District Stakeholders Association Chairperson, Rodgers Chinyemba has appealed to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to intensify sensitization programmes on the ongoing online pre-voter registration exercise.

Mr. Chinyemba said the commission should place more adverts on both radio and television simplifying the online voter registration exercise to avoid disenfranchising the majority in the rural areas.

He told ZANIS in an interview today that though the commission explained that it will capture others during the physical voter registration, it is only fair to ensure those in the rural parts of the country also have a chance to be captured at first glance.

“We are appealing to the ECZ to put more radio and TV adverts on the online voter registration as there are many people especially in our rural and remote areas who have no idea what is happening in the nation.

“Please place more adverts even in local languages to help simplify the procedure on how people can pre-register online for their voters’ cards”, Mr. Chinyemba said.

He said the commission should also come up with incentives for local internet businesses that are closer to the people so that more people can register to vote as it is their constitutional right.

“Let them come up with a programme to reward some community internet cafes so that the more they pre-register people they get something at the end of the day, not everyone owns a smartphone or has access to the internet”, Mr. Chinyemba said.

And speaking in a separate interview, a senior citizen, White Samulola said it is unrealistic for the commission to achieve a target of nine million in 30 days unless if the online pre-registration was a final exercise.

Mr. Samulola said that reflections from previous voter registration exercise of 2015/2016 showed that only about one million plus new voters were registered as voters in the first 30 days of that period until an extension was given to capture more voters.

“It is physically impossible for the commission to reach the nine million new voter registrations in 30 days as it can be proven from what happened in 2015/2016 voter registration exercise. What magic will they use this time unless maybe when they extend that 30 days”, Mr Samulola said.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia recently launched the online voter pre-registration exercise which is expected to run from September 21 to November 6, 2020.

Meanwhile, Kabompo District Pastor’s Fellowship Chairperson, Godfrey Fulani has advised civil society organisations (CSOs) and all existing faith based organisations to help encourage people to register as voters through sensitization.

“This is a very important period for our country, so let us all join hands and help one another by encouraging our members of society to register as voters during this period.

“Remember no one will be allowed to vote if they will not register as voters.” Rev. Fulani said.

Rev. Fulani said the CSOs and the church need to show relevance at this time as this is among the reasons they exist in the many societies.

By Lucky Mulusa

Dr. Mumba’s press address regarding the recently held Lukashya bye-election left me with a feeling of profound sense of worry for our nation. Our politics have degenerated into a tool of national destruction rather than one for national building. He covered a wide range of issues from electoral malpractices, general maladministration, to insults and personal attacks. But interesting to note in his address was how he dedicated almost half of it, to the damaged relationship between himself and one Raphael Nakachinda.

When people who are in particular positions of favour because of a foundation that was favourably created for them, make insulting the sponsors, their stock-in-trade, you can really feel the way Dr. Mumba feels. Its difficult to think that Raphael would manage relationships any differently and so advice to him is an exercise in futility. What he has done to Dr. Mumba, he has done it to Hon. Mutati and will do it to others as and when it suits him.

I cant imagine myself insulting President Lungu under any circumstance.

This is simply because of my history with him. I do not agree with a lot of things happening under his watch, but still I can’t insult him. For example:

1. While Lusaka is undergoing decongestion through the current road works, the government should not have embarked on an ambitious programme to recongest Lusaka by squeezing a 25,000 sitting capacity conference complex between Parliament building and Mulungushi Conference Centre. Imagine the traffic into the Arcades area from all over the city delivering delegates!
2. The fact that over four years after the enactment of the 2016 constitution, the Ministry of Justice has not operationalized the office of the Public Protector, through the creation of a Parliamentary Committee, into which the Public Protector is supposed to report issues of maladministration;
3. The numerous retirements of innocent citizens through the so-called “national interest” quoting the President who, more often than note is not even aware; and
4. There are a lot of things happening, but then, I can’t insult anybody.

While nothing in life is permanent including political offices, one day, with God on everybody’s side, every single individual in the current Cabinet will be retired to the terraces, from where they will watch others govern this country using the same treacherous laws and policies being promulgated today. This means that unless there is intervention, the culture of insults, violence insolence, arrogance of incumbency, just to mention a few, might linger on long enough for them to experience the impact of them from outside government. So when given an opportunity to govern, do it as if you are the governed so that you may create favourable legal, economic, and social environment for yourself beyond your tenure.

Regarding Dr. Mumba’s lamentations over the PF’s alleged misconduct over electoral practices in Lukashya constituency, I have this to say: Katz (1997, p 3) writes, ‘elections are the defining institution of modern democracy.

During the brief period of an election campaign, voters are the masters and seen to be so.’ To examine the electoral process as Dr. Mumba did is therefore to analyze the central device which has made representative democracy a feasible proposition for emerging democracies.

Leaders in their tour of duty, must always ensure that the major accomplishment of liberal politics, that is rule of law that affords protection for individual rights and a means of resolving disputes between citizens and the state is never subverted. Consistently, the “rule of men” must never be allowed to replace the “rule of law” through enactment of laws that reverse achievement in liberal democracy that has ensured leaders are constantly ensnared in the threads of legal restraint. For our case, operationalization of the Office of the Public Protector would go a long way towards that objective.

I have always wondered, whether thoughts of a future outside power ever cross the minds of leaders in positions of authority. Will they be happy and proud of the environment they would have created for the nation? Will they be happy with the culture of violence and insults they are cultivating and sustaining now and to which they will most likely fall victim? When President Chiluba, MHSCRIEP, left office, he found Zambia to be a prison without walls due to the toxic environment he had helped create and sustain. He was heckled, insulted and could not even drive around in a car with windows open nor step out to greet people. It’s the same cadres he had used to call Mwanawasa all sorts of names, who needed another target and the target was himself (Chiluba).
Sanity, decency, and good governance practices in politics are some cardinal possessions no politician must lose.