Government has maintained that it will not allow the use of the Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) in this year’s elections.

This is despite the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) having clarified that the PVT is not illegal and that there is no piece of legislation that criminalizes it.

Chief Government spokesperson Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha has also accused the Post Newspapers for being behind the PVT debate saying the daily tabloid has plans to rig and announce PF leader Michael Sata as the winner in this year’s elections.

General Shikapwasha has observed that use of the PVT has potential to bring anarchy in the country a situation he says threatens the country,s stability.

But when reminded that the people calling for the PVT have made clear that they want to use the exercise for comparison purposes during compilation of results to ensure that there is transparency and that the MMD is also on record of having used PVT during the 2008 presidential elections, General Shikapwasha maintained that it is not possible to use it.

He said people advocating for the exercise have a hidden agenda which may cost Zambians.

And General Shikapwasha says he has not received any information from the Vice- president pertaining to the Barotseland Agreement Issue.

General Shikapwasha says he will only be able to give government stance on the matter after the Vice president has given him information on the matter.

He was responding to a question by QFM news on whether the issue of the Barotseland Agreement has been fully resolved following the submission of the report to the government by the Litunga through the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE).
[ QFM ]

THE Lusaka High Court has dismissed former MMD chairman for elections Mike Mulongoti’s application to restrain the party from accepting nominations for the national convention because it lacks merit.

Lusaka High Court judge Nigel Mutuna said the right Mr Mulongoti is seeking to exercise is only exercisable by a bona fide member and not a suspended member.

Mr Justice Mutuna said this in chambers when the matter came up for ruling on March 24.

“The right that the plaintiff (Mulongoti) is seeking to exercise under Article 9 of the MMD constitution, that is ‘to elect or to be elected or appointed into the leadership of any of the party organs’, is only exercisable by a member and not a suspended member.

I find that the application lacks merit and I accordingly dismiss it. Leave to apply is granted,” he said.

Mr Mulongoti had applied for an order of interim injunction to restrain MMD acting national secretary Chembe Nyangu from requiring and accepting nominations from members of the party at the national offices. The nominations are due on March 25.

But Mr Justice Mutuna said Mr Mulongoti has not sought a declaration from the court that his suspension is a nullity and as such, he is not contesting the suspension through his application.

He said Mr Mulongoti’s suspension is therefore still in force and as such, his rights as a member of the MMD, as he seeks to invoke them, have been suspended.

“Mr Mulongoti does not have a clear and arguable claim to the rights he seeks to protect and his cause of action is shaky and can best be described as weak,” Mr Justice Mutuna said.

He said one of the cardinal principles to grant an injunction is that the person seeking it must demonstrate he has a clear and arguable claim to the right he seeks to protect.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

HERITAGE Party president Brigadier-General Godfrey Miyanda says he is against the 50 percent plus one vote threshold for a winning presidential candidate.

And Gen Miyanda does not agree with Colonel Panji Kaunda’s endorsement of Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata for the republican presidency.

Featuring on Hot FM radio on March 24, Gen Miyanda said he is opposed to the 50 percent plus one threshold because its arithmetic is undemocratic.

“I know Zambians will hang me for saying so but I feel they should give me an opportunity to explain our concerns. For me, if 50 percent plus one can solve our problems, let’s go for it but I don’t believe it can solve problems like hunger, shelter and so forth,” he said.

“If there are two million registered voters and all of them vote in an election for one past the post and I lose by one vote, for me that is democratic because two million people participated. If we follow 50 percent plus one and of the two million registered voters, only one million vote, according to the system, of these one million votes only the valid votes will count. That is why I am against it,” Gen Miyanda said.

Gen Miyanda said the other reason he is opposed to the threshold is the prospect of having a re-run if none of the top two candidates manage to get 50 percent plus one vote.

[pullquote]“You don’t vote for somebody because he is popular.  You vote for somebody because you believe that person will do what you want him to do for you. You vote for somebody because you accept what he stands for. Even if you give him two or three votes, you will be satisfied that you made a correct decision but today, we are being told to vote for those who are popular,” he said.[/pullquote]

“At the moment, I am sceptical about the whole idea of having to hold another election if the two candidates fail to reach the threshold. If you are holding another election and you delay to form government, it means maybe you don’t even need a government because life is going on, whether people are voting or not,” he said.

Gen Miyanda said the 50 percent plus one is a controversial and contentious topic and he is aware that some Zambians will not agree with his views on the issue.

He opposed the idea of picketing Parliament as a way of pushing for the inclusion of the 50 percent plus one vote in the new Constitution.

Gen Miyanda said members of Parliament are like judges who should not be forced to make decisions in favour of certain individuals or organisations.

He also welcomed the re-appointment of Justice Irene Mambilima as Electoral Commission of Zambia chairperson. Gen Miyanda believes Justice Mambilima’s return to the commission will enhance the management of the electoral process.

“I have appeared before her and lost some cases. She is good and she is articulate in her field,” he said about Justice Mambilima.

“One problem we have in Zambia is that we can’t give credit where it is due. There have been great strides at the commission,” he said.

And Gen Miyanda said he does not agree with Col Kaunda’s conclusion that Zambians should vote for Mr Sata because of his popularity.

“You don’t vote for somebody because he is popular.  You vote for somebody because you believe that person will do what you want him to do for you. You vote for somebody because you accept what he stands for. Even if you give him two or three votes, you will be satisfied that you made a correct decision but today, we are being told to vote for those who are popular,” he said.

Meanwhile, Gen Miyanda said the collapse of the PF-UPND has confirmed what he said earlier that the alliance would not go anywhere.

He said the botched pact reminds him of a parable of a man who marries a woman without first assessing her abilities to perform the chores expected of a housewife.

[pullquote]“We did not leave the MMD. We were pushed out. At that time, I was MMD vice-president and General (Criston) Tembo was MMD national trustee. I have no hatred for Mr Sata although he got rid of us from the MMD because we were opposed to proposals for a third term for President Chiluba,” he said[/pullquote]

“I said publicly that they got married first, then they started finding out whether this partner can cook, or sew or do this and that. These are things that have created problems. There is nothing wrong with pacts, even the military is very familiar with pacts but they don’t embark on them carelessly. You must have your own objective about what you want to achieve and what the other person wants to achieve.

“I am vindicated because I spoke about it some time back. I said the alliance will not go anywhere because of the method used to come together,” he said.

Gen Miyanda said selfishness usually plays a role in the demise of such alliances.

And Gen Miyanda dismissed assertions that he does not want to work with fellow opposition leaders. He said he can only work with leaders he agrees with on key national issues.

He said Mr Sata played a key role in expelling him and 21 others from the MMD when the PF leader was national secretary of the ruling party.

“We did not leave the MMD. We were pushed out. At that time, I was MMD vice-president and General (Criston) Tembo was MMD national trustee. I have no hatred for Mr Sata although he got rid of us from the MMD because we were opposed to proposals for a third term for President Chiluba,” he said

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Former Member of Parliament for Sinazongwe,Sacheye Madyenkuku says people in Southern Province have shifted their support from the UPND to the ruling MMD due to the demise of the PACT.

 

Madyenkuku who is Former Cabinet Minister in the Chiluba Era said this during a MMD Card Renewal Exercise at Victoria Hall.

Mr.Madyenkuku told a gathering of MMD Cadres that the UPND can never win this year’s tripartite elections owing to the their past performance in the past electoral polls.

Madyenkuku was Minister of labour before resigning from the MMD when he later joined the PF,then went to the UPND and later returned to the MMD as a
supporter.

He said according to the survey he carried,the UPND has lost support due to the collapse of the PACT.

Southern Province MMD Chairman,Edgar Kembe has refuted claims that the MMD in Southern Province has never endorsed the Parallel Vote Tabulation.

Speaking during the MMD Provincial Card Renewal process at Victoria Hall,Mr.Kembe said he was shocked by the story that appeared in the Post Newspaper under the title “PF,MMD in the South endorse the PVT”

Meanwhile Provincial MMD Youth Chairman Augustine Barewa Mungala told Radio Musi-o-Tunya that the youths who endorsed the PVT did not consult him as a Party leader.

A number of MMD youths who attended the AVAP Workshop appended their signatures on the PVT petition sheet at Fairmount Hotel recently.

The UPND has disputed media reports indicating that senior party officials in Western Province have defected to the Patriotic Front (PF).

UPND Chairman for Logistics, Sibote Sibote has told a media briefing today that no one in the UPND has defected from the party.

Mr. Sibote has claimed that those reported to have defected are people, who were serving indefinite suspensions in the UPND.

On March 22, Patriotic Front National Chairperson Inonge Wina announced that a total number of 8 Provincial UPND leaders in Western Province had defected to Patriotic Front (PF).

According to Mrs. Wina , a group of UPND top Provincial leaders which was lead by Induna Imbwae Imikendo included Kanz Mundia UPND Provincial Chairman, Cornel Makumba trustee, David Muzinda Provincial Vice Chairman, Miss Inonge Mubuyaeta Provincial Chairlady, Miss Rosemary Munalula provincial Vice Secretary and Publicity Secretary Teddy Chimbinde had defected to PF.

She said the eight former leaders defected from UNPD because they were not consulted by Mr. Hakainde before he decided to pull out of the Pact adding that they agree with Professor Clive Chira’s proposal of sharing positions according to the formula of 60% and 40% allocation of parliamentary seats and that Mr. Sata be President of the pact.

Unionized workers at Chambishi Copper Smelter downed tools and held a peaceful demonstration today demanding better conditions of service.

National Union of Miners and Allied Workers-NUMAW Chambishi Copper Smelter Branch Chairman Reuben Kalale told ZNBC News in an interview that the workers are not happy with the 12% salary increment which the management has offered them.

Mr. Kalale has that the miners want at least a 50% salary increment.

Some of the striking workers told ZNBC News that they expect to get better pay because copper prices on the international market have gone up.

The management announced the 12% increment on Wednesday after concluding negotiations with NUMAW.

But this morning the annoyed workers gathered outside the mine premises and demanded to be addressed by management.

Chambishi Copper Smelter Public Relations Manager Everisto Mutale said the management team is meeting union leaders to try and resolve the matter.

Mr. Mutale said that management would issue a statement on the outcome of the meeting later.

ZNBC

Home Affairs Minister Mkhondo Lungu has warned police officers against engaging in partisan politics because they risk being dismissed from the Police Service.

 

Officiating at the Zambia Police senior commanders’ workshop with the theme ‘Violence-free 2011 elections’ at Ibis Gardens in Chisamba yesterday, Mr Lungu said indiscipline and unprofessional conduct by police officers could trigger violence due to the highly emotive state of the people in an election environment.

Mr lungu said such conduct would make it difficult for officers to maintain law and order.

Mr Lungu said such a scenario would not just be an embarrassment to the Police Service, but it would erode public confidence in the service and it was important for police to reflect on ensuring professional conduct and exhibiting impartiality at all times.

“As minister of Home Affairs, I am praying that this year’s elections shall be free of violence. What is needed is for us to find the best strategies of handling and managing the elections,” he said.

He said the police had a mammoth task with regard to facilitating peaceful elections with current national debates that involved the majority of citizens calling for incident-free polls, as against a few who were predicting violence.

“I, therefore, urge you to consider how to handle these areas in conformity with the Public Order Act and the Electoral Code of Conduct. I urge you to study these materials carefully, put appropriate strategies in place and then impart the knowledge to your subordinates,” Mr Lungu said.

Speaking earlier, Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde warned those advocating for violence to re-think their actions because violence did not only negatively affect the country’s democratic process, but jeopardised its development, peace and tranquillity.

Mr Kabonde commended President Rupiah Banda, some political parties and the Church for having come out in support of peaceful presidential and general elections.
[ Times of Zambia ]

MMD national secretary Dr. Katele Kalumba and MMD’s Lusaka province Chairperson William Banda have submitted that they want Father Frank Bwalya recalled to testify again in a case in which they have been sued for defamation of character.

The duo who have jointly sued with the attorney general in their submissions say that because Father Bwalya is no longer change life executive director, it is necessary for him to be recalled so that he can clarify his status in the matter.

They say that Father Bwalya sued them in his capacity as Change Life Executive director but that it has come to their attention that Father who is the petitioner in the matter has published a statement in the media stating that he is not executive director of Change life.

But father Bwalya’s lawyers feel that the application to recall their client on the stand is prejudice.

And in another case the Lusaka high court has granted directors of Change life Zambia an injunction restraining Father Frank Bwalya from representing himself as the organization’s executive director.

Father Bwalya is a Roman Catholic priest who has been advocating for the change of government through his red card campaign.

However, following criticisms he has received from some of the directors of the Change life Zambia regarding his programs, father Bwalya has decided to change the name of his organization to Get Involved Zambia.
[ MUVI ]

CHAIRPERSON of the electoral commission of the MMD, Christopher Mundia has said the filing in of nomination papers for candidates intending to contest for positions at the party’s convention will remain open until 24 hours before voting takes place.

Mr Mundia said the lodging in of nomination papers at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka tomorrow will go on as scheduled.

He said the commission had decided to receive nomination papers earlier than 24 hours before voting takes place to facilitate for the smooth preparations of the electoral process before the convention, and to allow candidates enough time to sell themselves to the electorate.

Mr Mundia said all aspiring candidates would be expected to be fully paid-up members of the party for at least two years, be delegates to the convention and should not be less than 18 years of age.

They should also be card-carrying members of the MMD with the renewal receipt for 2011.

He said candidates should be members in good standing in accordance with the party constitution and 1999 electoral rules.

Mr Mundia said other requirements were that the aspirants should have a prescribed nomination fee as stipulated and a receipt of payment would be the only proof of such payment.

Presidential candidates are expected to pay a non-refundable fee of K10 million. Candidates for the vice-presidency would pay K5 million and other NEC positions K2.5 million.

He said all candidates, including those for the position for president and vice-president, should be supported by two delegates to the convention, who were fully paid-up members and were in good standing with the party.

[Times of Zambia]