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Rupiah’s delay on poll date is in bad faith, says Mutesa

Rupiah’s delay on poll date is in bad faith, says Mutesa
By Moses Kuwema
Tue 26 July 2011, 14:00 CAT

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda's delay in announcing the election date is an act of bad faith, says Dr Fred Mutesa. In an interview, Dr Mutesa, who is president of Zambians for Empowerment and Development (ZED), said a government which acts in good faith should be able to give other political players sufficient time to plan and prepare.

“I think to keep delaying in announcing the date of elections is to act in bad faith, it means you are fuelling the perpetration of elections that are not free and fair, because we know that it is the presidential prerogative to announce the election date. But if the constitution says after the dissolution of Parliament within 90 days the election date must be announced or set, it means the government that is acting in good faith must give sufficient time to all parties to plan and prepare adequately,” Dr Mutesa said.

He said the current government only had two months before the expiration of its mandate.

“And we do not know as yet when the election date will be announced so there must be a commitment to holding free and fair elections which should not just be pronounced by government but also there should be a form and appearance of ‘free and fair’ from the beginning,” he said.

Dr Mutesa said if the uncertainty surrounding the election date continued, an uneven playing field which gives an advantage to the ruling party would be created.

“As long as Parliament and Cabinet are not dissolved, what you will have is the ruling party using public resources in the name of inspecting government projects when in the actual fact they are campaigning and I think that is being devious and for a government that prides itself for the rule of law, that is really unbecoming,” said Dr Mutesa.

Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, FRED MUTESA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 4:44 PM