Maravi

'Political parties have reached consensus over govt funding'

'Political parties have reached consensus over govt funding'
By Noel Sichalwe
Saturday June 16, 2007 [04:00]

United Liberal Party (ULP) president Sakwiba Sikota has said political parties in Zambia have reached a consensus that they need to be funded by government. And Sikota said political parties were consulting their members in the country on the constitution review process and they would soon meet to compare notes. Briefing the press at Zambia Centre for Inter-party Dialogue on Wednesday, Sikota said there was need for the government to fund political parties as a way of strengthening democratic governance in the country.

“The consensus has been reached for political parties to get government funding,” he said. “There is consensus in the country and outside that there is need to support political parties to make them relevant and effective. This is happening all over the continent. I recently attended a meeting in Ghana where it was resolved to have state political funding.”

Sikota said ULP was willing to dialogue with all constitutional stakeholders and find a way of evading a referendum on the constituent assembly.
He however, said if the referendum would go ahead, his party would vote for the constituent assembly.

Sikota further said there was need for the government to renegotiate the mining agreements with mining companies in Zambia.
He said the Democratic Republic of Congo was currently re-negotiating the mining agreements and that the government should do the same so that the mineral resources can benefit the majority of Zambians.

Labels: PARTIES

posted by MrK @ 4:27 AM