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Chililabombwe PF councillors elect Mpande as new mayor

Chililabombwe PF councillors elect Mpande as new mayor
Written by Mutuna Chanda in Chililabombwe
Friday, January 02, 2009 2:53:33 PM

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) councillors in Chililabombwe on Wednesday elected Ben Mpande as the town's new mayor, further defying local government minister Ben Tentamashimba's directive that mayoral elections be postponed.

Chililabombwe is among several towns on the Copperbelt Province that held mayoral elections which Tetamashimba and some town clerks have described as illegal, saying they would not be recognised.

The PF councillors in Chililabombwe also elected Lydia Chunda as deputy mayor.

Mpande of Nakatindi ward and Chunda of Hellen Kaunda ward went through unopposed replacing their fellow PF councillors for Mumba ward Wilson Ponga who was mayor and his deputy Jean Namukonda for Kakoso ward.

However, Chililabombwe town clerk, local authority officials, eight MMD councillors and one from United Democratic Alliance were absent from the election which was chaired by PF Chililabombwe member of parliament Esther Banda.

Both Ponga and Namukonda were also not present during the election.

Only the 12 PF councillors were present for the election.

In opening the no contest poll, Banda said councillors would not accept any council meeting that would be chaired by outgoing mayor Ponga because time had come for him to go.

She said there was nothing that could stand in the way of the elections because Chililabombwe Municipal Council had already come up with its budget.

“The announcement to postpone the elections was that until councils do their budgets but our budget was done a long time ago so we feel there shouldn't be delays in holding elections anymore,” Banda said.

She said PF councillors would not tolerate any council meeting that was not going to recognise the newly-elected mayor and deputy.

“For example in Chingola yesterday, (Tuesday) where a new mayor has been elected, people walked out because the new mayor did not take up his position,” Banda said. “This shouldn't be taken lightly. We don't want to see the old mayor chairing meetings. If they want to have meetings, they should bring a neutral person otherwise we will all walk out.”

Banda also said that the acting town clerk for Chililabombwe Godwin Chinoya had written to her informing her that neither him nor any council official would be present during the planned mayoral elections.

And in an interview, Banda expressed disappointment at Chinoya's conduct.

Chinoya in a letter dated December 30, 2008 told Banda that holding of the mayoral elections in view of the suspension was illegal.

“It has come to my attention that you are planning to hold mayoral elections by the Patriotic Front (PF) councillors tomorrow, Wednesday 31st December, 2008 in the council chamber,” Chinoya stated. “As a principal advisor to the council, I wish to advise you and your team not to go ahead with these elections. The following are the reasons why you should not go ahead with these elections:

Both the standing orders and the local government Act Cap 281 of the Laws of Zambia are very clear on the steps to follow when electing a mayor and deputy mayor. Among other requirements is: the notice of meeting to be circulated by the principal officer; the nomination period; the quorum; the returning officer who should be the principal officer. If these are not met, the election is null and void.”

Chinoya stated that mayors and their deputies who had been voted for in other towns without following procedure were non-functional.

“Information reaching my office is that you already had intra-party elections where you elected those to stand on the PF ticket for the post of mayor and deputy mayor.

Why repeat the same function in the Chamber simply for political expedience?” stated Chinoya. “Most importantly, the party Patriotic Front has taken the government to court over the same mayoral elections. This means that it will be contempt of court on our part if you went ahead and held mayoral elections.”

Chinoya's letter was copied to local government minister Benny Tetamashimba, Provincial local government officer Solomon Sakala, the permanent secretary at local government ministry, and the mayor of Chililabombwe.

Tetamashimba last month issued a directive that mayoral elections be postponed until councils countrywide presented their budgets. However, the directive was defied as several councils on the Copperbelt elected mayors and their deputies.

Their decision was further augmented by Patriotic Front president Michael Sata's directive that all councils should hold mayoral elections, saying Tetamashimba's order was illegal.

Labels: BEN MPANDE, COPPERBELT PROVINCE, LYDIA CHUNDA, MAYOR

posted by MrK @ 2:54 PM