Maravi

Lettters - 50% plus one

50% plus one
By Gilbert Wandi
Sunday April 27, 2008 [04:00]

The caution by President Mwanawasa against the 50 per cent plus one requirement for one to be duly declared as winner in a presidential election is bewildering, strange and utterly misleading. In fortifying his caution, he drew our attention to the post-election difficulties that our brothers and sisters experienced and are experiencing in Kenya and Zimbabwe.

Quite frankly, the analogies are misplaced and wrong. The fact of the matter is that there is precisely nothing wrong with the 50 per cent plus one requirement. If MMD as the ruling party is popular as they claim they are, then they should not fear to go for the 50 per cent plus one vote.

First, the requirement is one of the best tools for ensuring that a declared winner of a presidential election has the support and endorsement of the majority of the people. It contrasts with the first-past-the-post system that has only succeeded in encumbering us with minority and unpopular presidents who have only enjoyed support from among a minority population, lackeys and hangers-on.

A president with a 50 per cent plus one endorsement will rule with confidence and objectivity and will have no need to become paranoid and fearful of perceived enemies. In fact, experience in Zambia amply demonstrates that because of the first-past-the-post rule, presidents have tended to feel indebted to population areas from where they garnered most of the votes.

Second, the comparison with events in Kenya and Zimbabwe is misplaced in the sense that what has failed these great countries is not the 50 per cent plus one requirement. Rather, it is the imperfect electoral systems that are so aligned and subservient to the ruling party that they fail to ensure free and fair elections.

I think its time Zambia had a constitution that could stand the taste of time rather than what we are seeing today. every new president wants to have a constitution that fits him, thus ending up wasting a lot of taxpayers’ money. History will judge harshly those people who are sitting on the National Constitution Commission (NCC) if they come up with a constitution that will benefit only a few politicians in the country. As a country that is moving forward in democracy, Zambians want a president with a 50 per cent plus one vote in state house come 2011

Labels: 50 PERCENT PLUS 1

posted by MrK @ 3:35 AM