The Electoral Commission of Zambia has extended the period for filling of nominations for Presidential candidates by two days.

The nomination for aspiring Presidential candidates which was initially supposed to close on August 10 has been extended to August 12 due the high number of aspiring candidates.

But ECZ will not extend the nomination timetable for parliamentary and local government elections which will be held on Friday August 12.

Electoral Commission of Zambia Chairperson Ireen Mambilima disclosed this when she met Civil Society Organisations at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka on Thursday.

Justice Mambilima says the schedule for filing of nominations was arrived at following consultations with all aspiring candidates yesterday.

According to the schedule, 17 presidential candidates are expected to contest for the Republican Presidency on September 20.

The lodging of nominations will start on Sunday August 7 with UNIP, FDD and Zambians for Empowerment and Development presidential candidates filing their nominations.

The nominations will be lodged at the Supreme Court before returning officer and Chief Justice Ernest Sakala.

On Monday August 8, the National Restoration Party, the UPND and the National Movement for Progress will lodge nominations while the National Revolution Party, Patriotic Front and the Alliance for Democracy and Development will lodge their nominations on Tuesday August 9.

MMD’s President Banda, the People’s Redemption Party and the Zambia Direct Democracy Movement will file nomination papers on Wednesday August 10.

The Heritage party, the United Nationalist Party and the Zambian Conservative Party will file their nominations on Thursday August 11.

The lodging of nomination papers will close on Friday August 12 with Zambia Progressive Party and the Revolutionary Communist party lodging nominations for their aspiring presidential candidates.

But the Electoral Commission of Zambia will not extend the nomination timetable for parliamentary and local government elections which will be held on Friday August 12.

Commission Chairperson Justice Mambilima announced in Lusaka in meeting on Thursday with Civil society Organizations.

And ECZ Director, Priscilla Isaac has re-iterated that the printing of ballot papers will be done in South Africa because Zambia has no capacity.

Government printers needs about K46 billion capital injection to undertake the exercise.

Ms Isaac says the Commission tendered for the printing of ballot papers from March to April and no Zambian printing firm applied.

She said only foreign companies tendered bids for the exercise.

ZNBC

Seventeen presidential candidates are expected to contest this year’s presidential election.

This is according to a drawn up timetable for the filing of presidential nominations released to QFM by the Electoral Commission of Zambia.

The filing of presidential nominations will commence on Sunday 7th August up to 12th August, 2011.

ECZ Public Relations Manager Cris Akufuna says in a statement that this follows consultations with aspiring presidential candidates yesterday.

Mr. Akufuna says aspiring presidential candidates will lodge their nominations papers at the Supreme Court before the Chief Justice who is the returning officer.

He says the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) presidential candidate will be first to file nominations together with presidential candidates from UNIP and Zambians for Empowerment and Development (ZED) on 7th August.

On Monday, 8th August presidential candidates from the UPND, NAREP and National Movement for Progress will file nominations, while on Tuesday 9th August candidates from the Patriotic Front (PF, National Revolution party (NRP),and Alliance for Democracy and Development, (ADD) will lodge their nominations.

Presidential candidates from the MMD, People’s Redemption Party (PRP)and Zambia Direct Democracy Movement (ZDM) will file nominations on Wednesday 10th August,with those from the Heritage party, United Nationalists Party and the Zambian Conservative Party filing nominations on Thursday, 11th August.

Candidates from the Zambia Progressive Party (ZPP) and Revolutionary Communist Party RCP) will complete the nomination process on Friday, 12th August, 2011.
[ QFM ]

Frederick Moonga Chinza, from Kabwe, has won a once-in-a-lifetime trip to meet singer, songwriter and philanthrophist, Alicia Keys, in New York City, thanks to MTV Base and MTN.

Frederick, a 27 year old secondary school biology teacher, won the all-expenses-paid trip after participating in the pan-African MTV Base Meets…With MTN contest in which MTV and MTN asked young Africans to indicate what important questions they would like to ask Ms Keys.

“MTN Zambia is ecstatic that one of our loyal customers was selected among thousands of entries to win a fully paid trip to New York to meet International singing sensation, Alicia Keyes. At MTN Zambia we believe in continuously providing our customers with World Class experiences, and obviously this occasion stands out as an exceptional one” says MTN Zambia Chief Marketing Officer, Ernst Fonternel.

Frederick will travel to New York City on 10th August 2011 to meet with Alicia Keys and to participate in the final episode of the current series of MTV Base Meets…with MTN – the TV programme and youth empowerment initiative that hooks up young Africans with influential business, political and cultural leaders.

A delighted Frederick said, “This is the most exciting day of my life – I am trembling all over. It is a dream come true for me. I cannot believe I will be going to New York to meet an icon like Alicia Keys – I am a huge fan! Thanks to MTN and MTV for making this possible!”
The episode of MTV Base Meets Alicia Keys with MTN, featuring Frederick on the questioning panel, will premiere across Africa on MTV Base (DSTV channel 322) on 5 September 2011 and on terrestrial channels STV (Nigeria), Muvi TV (Zambia), Clouds TV (Tanzania), WBS (Uganda), Canal 2 (Cameroon), TV3 (Ghana) and NTV (Kenya).

[MTN Press Release]

Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata has maintained that President Rupiah Banda is a foreigner and is not qualified to contest next month’s Presidential election.

Mr. Sata says President Banda is cheating Zambians that he qualifies to contest the next month’s presidential elections under the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD).

The PF leader revealed that Mr Banda’s mother hailed Gwanda area in Zimbabwe and the mother is Ndebele by tribe hence disqualifying him from contesting this year’s elections.

He says the constitution should not be applied selectively and it should also apply to all individuals.

In the news monitored on QFM radio today Mr Sata says President Banda was born in Zimbabwe where he married a Makulu daughter and he was a chief mourner when his wife died.

“I know President Banda’s previous wife a Makulu daughter, he is an Ndebele there is no doubt about it,” Mr. Sata says.

The Forum for Progressive Politics (FPP) has described Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata’s statement to report President Rupiah Banda to United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) organisations over his parentage as rubbish.

FPP Secretary General Charles Kafumbu says the PF is being pet by diverting people’s attention from real issues that could uplift their living standards.

Mr. Kafumbu noted that it is unfortunate that the PF leader camped in Eastern Province to dig out more information about President Banda instead of addressing the real issues of development.

He wondered whether Mr Sata‘s actions are what the Zambians need.
On Tuesday PF threatened to write to the Southern African Developing community SADC, the African Union AU and the United Nation UN on whether the ruling MMD should go ahead and field President Rupiah Banda as its presidential candidate.
PF Secretary General Wynter Kabimba said that the party wrote to the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) to intervene in the matter of President Rupiah Banda’s parentage and his eligibility as candidate in the 2008 presidential elections as well as the forthcoming general elections but wonders why LAZ has been mute about the matter.
Mr. Sata has also maintained that Mr Banda is a foreigner as his mother hails from Zimbabwe.

Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) president Edith Nawakwi has implored Zambians to vote for leaders that are clear thinkers and have better vision for the country.

Ms. Nawakwi says Zambians can not afford to have the same leaders who will continue to retard the country’s development.

She pointed out that the Movement for Mult-party Democracy (MMD) under the leadership of President Rupiah Banda has failed to bring up development that the country needs.

Ms. Nawakwi noted that some leaders have been in power for a long time and they are the ones who have launched the campaigns of vindictiveness.

“ You see up to now we still have leaders from 1950s who have not changed their mind set, they still have the mentality of settling scores when campaigning this is the time for clear thinkers to give us solutions for the future,” Ms Nawakwi says.

United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema has called Zambians to kick out the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) from power because the party has failed to run the country national affairs.

Mr. Hichilema says the MMD has failed to deliver on its promises from the time it has been in power for the past 20 years.

He noted that the party has failed Zambians on many issues such as the amendments of the constitution and the electoral reforms.

The UPND presidential aspirant says Zambians should get ride of old leaders and vote for the best ones that will improve the country’s economy.

He says economic prosperity will only happen if new leaders are voted into office and urge Zambians to turn up in large numbers to vote on 20th September to cast their vote.

Mr. Hichilema advocated for a continuous voter registration and an online voter registration.

And Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) president Edith Nawakwi has implored Zambians to vote for leaders that are clear thinkers and have better vision for the country.

Ms. Nawakwi says Zambians can not afford to have the same leaders who will continue to retard the country’s development.

She pointed out that the Movement for Mult-party Democracy (MMD) under the leadership of President Rupiah Banda has failed to bring up development that the country needs.

Ms. Nawakwi noted that some leaders have been in power for a long time and they are the ones who have launched the campaigns of vindictiveness.

“ You see up to now we still have leaders from 1950s who have not changed their mind set, they still have the mentality of settling scores when campaigning this is the time for clear thinkers to give us solutions for the future,” Ms Nawakwi says.

CONFUSION and uncertainty have gripped the Patriotic Front (PF) as it struggles to find credible candidates to field in this year’s tripartite elections, sources have disclosed.

Sources within the party’s central committee who asked not to be named said in Lusaka yesterday that the PF leadership is panicking following the MMD’s unveiling of its parliamentary and local government candidates.

The sources said the launch of the MMD campaign has also caught the PF off balance as the party is still struggling to sort out the confusion its president, Michael Sata, has created in the adoption process.

“There is confusion in our party. Right now, we don’t know who has been adopted and who has not. Only our president knows and this lack of transparency has caused anger among the rank and file of the party,” one of the sources said.

The source said many ordinary members of the party are angry that Mr Sata is single-handedly picking people to be adopted without consulting the grassroots.

He said Mr Sata and the central committee had been duped into believing that there would be an exodus of former ministers, members of Parliament and councillors from the MMD to the PF after the dissolution of Parliament and the ruling party’s announcement of adopted candidates.

[pullquote]“The much anticipated exodus of former MMD ministers, MPs and councillors was just an illusion. It has not happened and that has caused consternation among the leaders,” the source said.[/pullquote]

“The much anticipated exodus of former MMD ministers, MPs and councillors was just an illusion. It has not happened and that has caused consternation among the leaders,” the source said.

Another source said there is growing resentment among ordinary members towards the few, mostly discredited politicians who have defected to the PF.

The source said the former ministers had promised Mr Sata and his inner circle that scores of former ministers had assured them that they would cross to the opposition party if they are not adopted to run on the MMD ticket, but that has not happened.

“What has annoyed us most is the fact that only a small number of former ministers have defected to the PF. These people are not even popular in their areas,” the source said.

“Some of the candidates who might be adopted will be difficult to sell and that is why the likes of Sylvia Masebo (former Chongwe member of Parliament) may not stand in their traditional constituencies.

[Zambia Daily Mail]