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Constitution irrelevant without 50%+1 - AVAP

Constitution irrelevant without 50%+1 - AVAP
By Florence Bupe
Wed 24 Nov. 2010, 03:59 CAT

ANTI-Voter Apathy Project says the new constitution will be irrelevant to next year’s general elections if the 50 per cent plus one clause is not addressed.

In an interview, AVAP executive director Bonnie Tembo said he was disappointed with Vice-President George Kunda’s announcement that the government would adopt some clauses of the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) draft constitution for possible enactment, excluding the 50 per cent plus one and other important clauses.

“The constitution will be incomplete and irrelevant without the inclusion of the 50 per cent plus one clause, which in our view is central to any democratic election process,” he said.

Vice-President Kunda last week announced that the government had begun the process of enacting part of the constitution except for clauses that require a referendum, including the 50 per cent plus one clause for a winning presidential candidate due to financial implications.

Tembo said the government had enough resources but its priorities were misplaced.

“Government needs to understand that democracy is expensive and they have to spend to put in place legislation that is beneficial to our growing democracy.

Government is claiming not to have enough resources to take the 50 per cent plus one clause to a referendum, yet there is always money available for the President to travel with huge delegations,” he said.

Tembo urged every progressive Zambian to pressurise the government to include the 50 per cent plus one clause in the new constitution to ensure that legitimate leaders were elected next year.

He challenged the present government to make decisions for the good of the country and not out of their selfish motives.

“We are appealing to Cabinet to think beyond themselves and 2011 and enact laws that will contribute positively to national development,” Tembo said. “Cabinet should embrace what the Zambian people want and support the 50 per cent plus one clause.”

Tembo also challenged home affairs minister Mkhondo Lungu to be honest with the nation on the issue of registered voters whose National Registration Card (NRC) numbers appeared as 111111/1/1.

He said Lungu’s explanation that the number was a code the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) was using to highlight entries that had incomplete information was misleading.

Tembo urged the government, through ECZ, to publish the names of all those registered under the number in question to persuade them to submit their correct and compete details at district level.

Labels: 50 PERCENT PLUS 1, AVAP, BONNIE TEMBO

posted by MrK @ 6:55 PM