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Politicians taking Zambians for granted - AVAP

Politicians taking Zambians for granted - AVAP
By Patson Chilemba
Sun 12 Sep. 2010, 04:00 CAT

ZAMBIAN politicians are taking people for granted, Anti Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) director Bonny Tembo charged yesterday.

Commenting on the recent by-elections caused by Luena member of parliament Charles Milupi and the MMD’s expulsion of their members of parliament George Mpombo Kafulafuta and Ng’andu Magande Chilanga and the resignation of George Bwalya Mwamba GBM as Kasama PF member of parliament, Tembo said AVAP was deeply concerned that a lot of national resources kept being wasted through unnecessary by-elections.

“Now we have a series of by-elections. There is Mpulungu, Namwala is on the standby. In Chilanga it’s obvious Magande is very clear he doesn’t want to be associated with the plunder of having by-elections. Now we have Kasama. How much are we going to spend? Already the ECZ Electoral Commission of Zambia is being overstretched,” Tembo said.

“They politicians are taking people for granted because they use money to entice people to say they are good people who can deliver.”

Tembo said since 2007, the country has had over 12 parliamentary by-elections.

He said the first of these “careless” by-elections was caused by Rose Banda who resigned from UNIP to join the MMD.

“The people feel betrayed and people say ‘why vote’? What are they benefiting after eating those short term gains, after the campaign back to poverty?” Tembo said.
He said people should critically scrutinize candidates who presented themselves to them.

Tembo said there was also need to reform the laws governing the elections.

“If there is a law to say ‘anybody who causes a wasteful by-election has to bear the cost or has to be prosecuted’, I am sure that these politicians will be able to abide. Look at Kasama-Central, Savior Chishimba abandoned the electorate, then last year we had the by-elections,” Tembo said.

“GBM without finishing one year he has abandoned them. So you will make people suffer. People are suffering. For them to queue and in the heat of the Sun, especially those which are coming on 28th October, people are going to queue for long hours. They are going to suffer.”

Tembo said some politicians even had the audacity to say that the people would accept their resignations or their decisions to expel their members of parliament.

“Which people are going to understand?” asked Tembo.

The MMD last Saturday expelled Magande and Mpombo.

Magande has since declared that he would not contest his expulsion and the Chilanga seat.

A few days later, GBM resigned as Kasama-Central member of parliament a few hours after receiving a letter of suspension from his party leader Michael Sata.

GBM allegedly assaulted his wife Chama on Sunday after a domestic dispute.

A few months ago, Milupi caused a by-election when he resigned as Luena independent member of parliament only to re-contest the same seat on the Alliance for Development and Democracy (ADD) ticket and won.

Labels: AVAP, BONNIE TEMBO, GBM, GEOFFREY MWAMBA, SAVIOUR CHISHIMBA

posted by MrK @ 2:45 AM