THE United States government has urged election observers to respect the authority of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).

United States ambassador to Zambia Mark Storella said effective monitoring of elections demands that electoral laws are followed and that civil society organisations, as election observers, carry out their task professionally.

Mr Storella said in a statement released in Lusaka over the weekend that the US government would only work with civil society organisations which observe elections in a non-partisan manner.

He expressed gratitude for the gesture shown by Government to invite both local and international election observers to monitor this year’s tripartite elections.

Mr Storella said Zambia has an impressive history of conducting free and fair elections and to support the electoral process in the country, civil society organisations and all stakeholders should follow the laid down procedures.

“It is important for all stakeholders to respect the law and proper procedures to preserve peace in the electoral process which reflects the will of the Zambian people,” MrStorella said.

He said the ECZ has the authority to count ballots and election observers can only use the official results as posted by the commission to make independent tallies.

Mr Storella said observers should wait for the ECZ to make an official announcement of the results before releasing their own analyses of vote counts.

He said the US government will continue to support the democratic process in the country and that the American people would like to see Zambia cement its reputation for being a leader of democracy, peace, and stability in southern Africa.

And JERRY MUNTHALI reports that insinuations that the ruling party plans to conduct its PVT at a cost of K27 billion in this year’s tripartite elections are works of daydreamers, MMD national secretary Richard Kachingwe says.

Reacting to reports that the ruling party plans to spend K27 billion on its own PVT exercise in the general elections, Major Kachingwe said yesterday that the ruling party respects the rule of law and cannot conduct PVT to usurp the powers of the ECZ.

“It is baseless for anyone to suggest that we will conduct PVT. We are a party of laws, we respect the laws of Zambia and we respect the law that established the Electoral Commission of Zambia,” he said.

He said the MMD will not do anything to undermine the authority of the ECZ.

“We have never discussed it at any forum because we respect the ECZ and we have confidence in them. The so-called source of this information is a blatant liar because this is not in our circles,” Maj Kachingwe said.

The article was carried by The Post quoting sources suggesting that the ruling party is planning to carry out its own PVT and intends to spend over K27 billion on the exercise.

“Which sources are they talking about? I am the chief executive of the party and I have no idea whatsoever what they are taking about. We have a new national executive committee and elections fall under honourable Gabriel Namulambe who is chairman of elections. He has been busy with other tasks at national and party level,” Maj Kachingwe said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Vice President George Kunda has said Zambia is hopeful that stability and reconciliation will be restored to Ivory Coast following the official investiture of Alassane Quattara yesterday as President of the West African country.

Dr Quattara’s official installation as Ivorian President comes after five months of the country’s political unrest which was triggered by Former President Laurent Gbagbo’s refusal to step down after last year’s elections.

Mr Kunda who witnessed the colourful ceremony in the Ivorian political capital Yamoussoukro said Zambia supported Dr Quattara by attending the event following an invitation from the Ivorian Government which had sent its Prime Minister earlier this year, to report progress made on that country’s democratic process.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS shortly before departure for home at Abidjan’s Houphouet Boiny International Airport last night after attending the installation of Dr Quattara, Mr Kunda who described the event as successful noted that Zambia’s good democratic credentials and the peace that it continued to enjoy had earned it recognition in Africa hence it is widely consulted on such matters.

The Vice President attended the ceremony yesterday alongside several eminent world leaders among them France’s President Nicholai Sarkorzy, United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki Moon, Senegalese leader Aboudalaye Wade, African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Jean Ping, Idriss Derby of Chad and Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

‘’We are regarded very highly in Africa because of peace we have been enjoying for 47 years hence we are consulted. We look forward to a stable Cote D’I Voire and reconciliation for the people’’, he said.

And the Vice President has said there is need for political stability in Africa as this is the only way the continent can progress adding that without peace there will be no investment contributing to high poverty levels.

Mr Kunda stressed that with peace and tranquility in Africa it will be easy to attract investment and secure the future of not only Zambia but the entire continent.

In this light, he urged leaders in the country and Africa to ensure that they promote peace to avoid conflicts.

‘’It is incumbent upon us leaders to preach peace to avoid conflicts,’’ he added.

On infrastructure development, the Vice President further spoke highly of the level of development in Ivory Coast particularly in the country’s political and commercial capitals, Yamoussoukro and Abidjan saying this was the move to be taken by African countries including Zambia.

Mr Kunda noted that the visit to Ivory Coast had given him and his entourage an opportunity to see the level of development in that country saying that Zambia should draw lessons from infrastructure development and cited the superior buildings in the West African countries.

He also acknowledged that Zambia was already engaged in infrastructure development as this was the only way to progress.

ZANIS

THE MMD on the Copperbelt has alleged that the Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) management is frustrating President Banda’s home empowerment programme by issuing eviction letters to some sitting tenants occupying institutional houses.

MMD Copperbelt Province chairman Joseph Chilambwe said in an interview in Kitwe yesterday that it is unfortunate that ZRL is indirectly defying President Banda’s directive that the houses be immediately offered for sale to sitting tenants and outstanding balances be written off.

“ZRL has written letters to sitting tenants that they want to repossess the houses. These people are indirectly challenging President Banda and this is what we don’t want,” Mr Chilambwe said

According to one of the letters dated May 9, 2011 authored by NM Mulikita and Partners Legal Practitioners, acting on behalf of ZRL and addressed to Mr Francis Mwansa of house number 11, Kalewa Road, Northrise in Ndola, the company wants to repossess the house.

The letter is headed ‘Vacation of Zambia Railways Limited property known as house number 11, Northrise, Ndola’.

The letter reads: “Caption matter refers, please note that we act on and on behalf of Zambia Railways Limited. We have instructions from our client to take possession of the premises that you are currently occupying. We, therefore, demand that you vacate the said premises within seven (7) days of receipt hereof, failure to which we shall commence legal proceedings to procure our client’s instruction without further recourse to you. Please acknowledge receipt hereof by duly filling in the space provided of the copy of this letter.”

But Mr Chilambwe said President Banda’s executive order to offer the houses to sitting tenants is final and cannot be challenged.

“These people are tarnishing President Banda’s image, let them resign. But we are contesting this as a party and we will not tolerate it,” Mr Chilambwe said.

He advised ZRL not to take the law for granted by challenging Mr Banda’s directive and wondered why the company failed to evict the tenants from the houses when they were retrenched.

“We don’t know why they are now issuing eviction letters to sitting tenants because they failed to remove them from the houses when they were retrenched.

President Banda’s pronouncement has superseded all action by these people and we want to warn Zambia Railways management not to ‘take the law in their own hands’ by challenging the Presidential directive,” Mr Chilambwe said.

On April 16, President Banda said during a press conference at Hotel Edinburgh in Kitwe that he has received petitions from sitting tenants occupying Zambia Railways houses.

Mr Banda said he has directed the board of Zambia Railways to reduce the prices.

“I am happy to inform the sitting tenants that the board has responded to my directive and they will soon be reverting to you with offers at lower prices. This is in respect to all Zambia Railways houses spread out throughout the country,” Mr Banda said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

THE Southern African Development Community (SADC) extraordinary summit of heads of State and Government has mandated President Banda and former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano to convene a stakeholders’ meeting to seek an end to the political crisis in Madagascar.

President Banda will take the responsibility in his capacity as Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation. Mr Chissano is the SADC mediator on Madagascar.

The two have been tasked to quickly convene the meeting at the SADC headquarters in Gaborone.

In a communiqué read by SADC executive secretary Tomaz Salomao at the end of the one-day summit here on Friday, the SADC members reiterated the need for an all-inclusive political process of reconciliation and finding a lasting solution for that country.

Dr Salamao said the SADC leaders also commended Mr Chissano for his efforts in bringing together the Madagascar stakeholders in the reconciliation process.

Madagascar is in a political crisis following an uprising that toppled the democratically elected President, Marc Ravalomanana, who is currently exiled in South Africa.

The country is now being managed by a caretaker government, the High Transitional Authority (HAT), headed by 36-year-old Andry Rajoelina whose government the international community, including SADC, do not recognise.

President Banda has said SADC is determined to ensure that constitutional normalcy and a favourable political atmosphere return to Madagascar.

Commenting on the mandate, President Banda said the Indian Ocean Island has gone through a lot of challenging political situations, which needed to be resolved.

“Madagascar is a sad and complex case due to its distance from the rest of the SADC countries but we are determined to see the return of peace in that country so that it can also experience the normalcy we are all enjoying,” he said.

He said the Gaborone meeting has been slated for June 5, 2011.

President Banda said the extra-ordinary summit was important and critical.

President Banda told ZANIS in an interview in Windhoek shortly before departure for Lusaka yesterday that the summit, which was the first of its kind to be devoted to economic issues in the region, showed the maturity of the regional body, which had predominantly been meeting to discuss political issues.

“I am happy that we were meeting especially to review what we went through as a result of the global financial crisis and I am sure you will agree with me that many countries were affected,” he said.

President Banda said that it was pleasing that many countries, including Zambia, emerged stronger and have learnt to diversify their economies.

And President Banda says Zambia stands to benefit a lot from the proposed economic integration of the economies of SADC, COMESA and the East African Community through the Tripartite Free Trade Area because of the central geographical location.

“As Zambia, we are seeing the results of integration through various economic activities in all our border towns. We have activities on the Angolan border for example, as well as in other areas,” he said.

President Banda said the MMD government is determined to ensure that all possible routes leading to other countries are quickly worked on to maximise Zambia’s benefits from the regional economic advancements.
President Banda returned yesterday.

Meanwhile, the summit could not deal with the political situation in Zimbabwe because of the absence of the SADC mediator for Zimbabwe, President Jacob Zuma.

Dr Salamao said that President Zuma could not attend the summit because of on-going elections in South Africa. He said President Zuma wrote to the SADC secretariat explaining his absence.

“This situation prompted the summit and the Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation to defer the matter to a later date not later than 12th June this year,” he said.

ZANIS

THE Christian Coalition has urged the Catholic Church to clamp down on its wayward priests to restore the integrity of the church.

Coalition executive director John Mwendapole said in Lusaka yesterday that the Catholic Church has itself to blame for speculation that it supports opposition Patriotic Front president Michael Sata.

Mr Mwendapole said the speculation arises from the fact that the Catholic Church has not come out in the open to condemn its priests who actively participate in politics.

“Let them clamp down on wayward priests to remove all misconceptions,” Mr Mwendapole said.

He said some named priests have been seen publicly embracing Mr Sata and campaigning with him, which is wrong because the church is supposed to be neutral.

Mr Mwendapole said the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) has at no time condemned priests from the church who use the Catholic Church to openly antagonise the MMD government and demean its development projects.

“They only have themselves to blame and they should not turn around and castigate others who defend a constitutionally elected government,” Mr Mwendapole said.

He said the ZEC should not blame anyone who defends government from unnecessary attacks.

Mr Mwendapole said the attacks on the Catholic Church are a clear indication that people are not happy with the unwarranted attacks on government and that the ZEC could remedy the situation by ensuring that priests stick to preaching the gospel and not politicking.

He said the communiqué ZEC issued to all its churches on Thursday and Government wings is a “gimmick to cow Government into submission”.

Mr Mwendapole said the role of the church in Zambia is to preach the gospel and not to incline its membership to supporting certain politicians.

“Some priests are using the church as a platform to manipulate the Catholic Church membership into supporting their preferred political parties, which is wrong,” Mr Mwendapole said.

He challenged the Catholic Church to explain why it allows its priests to support Mr Sata when the church is supposed to be non-partisan.

“The priests are behaving like loose canons and if not properly handled, they can cause havoc in the country,” Mr Mwendapole said.

He said instead of supporting Mr Sata, the Catholic Church should use the influence they have on him to make him a better and more consistent leader.

[Zambia Daily Mail]