Maravi

Fr Bwalya invites Zambians to demand electoral reforms

Fr Bwalya invites Zambians to demand electoral reforms
By Kombe Chimpinde
Tue 28 Dec. 2010, 04:01 CAT

ZAMBIA risks facing a situation similar to that of Ivory Coast if the government remains adamant over amending the electoral Act before next year’s election.

According to Change Life Zambia executive director Fr Frank Bwalya, there could be nationwide discontent if the MMD government dismissed calls for the amendment of constitutional clauses pertaining to elections because Zambians were tired of state manipulation of the electoral process.

He said there was need to examine the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), adding that it was not independent of government control.

“MMD will leave no stone unturned so that they retain power next year. It is for this reason that Zambians should unite and ensure that deliberate reforms are implemented to ensure free and fair elections in the 2011 general elections,” Fr Bwalya said in an interview.

“These include the amendment of Article 34 of the Constitution so that those aggrieved political parties after election would be given chance to have their grievances addressed before the elected president is sworn in. Another reform should be scrapping of the current ECZ. The current body, which Parliament itself described as rotten and to which people like commission chairperson justice Florence Mumba should not belong, is not independent.”

Fr Bwalya warned that Zambians should not trust the current ECZ to handle the 2011 electoral process because it was as good as an extension of the MMD machinery.

“There should be amendment of the whole electoral Act as a way of making it more independent. Reforms have to be taken to ensure transparency and accountability especially in the appointment of commissioners and key management positions,” he said.
Fr Bwalya said if the reforms in question were not addressed, Zambia risked facing a serious electoral conflict.

“Nevertheless, we are not naïve. We know the MMD will resist the amendments of the Acts in question and if it happens, we will also call on the international community to push government to act responsibly by implementing the said reforms as a way of preventing what is happening in Ivory Coast,” said Fr Bwalya.

Labels: ECZ, FRANK BWALYA

posted by MrK @ 3:47 AM