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Politicians should avoid causing by-elections, advises Fr Lungu

Politicians should avoid causing by-elections, advises Fr Lungu
By Allan Mulenga
Wed 21 Nov. 2012, 13:20 CAT

POLITICIANS should be prudent in their decisions to avoid causing unnecessary by-elections, says ZEC secretary general Fr Cleophas Lungu. In an interview, Fr Lungu said holding by-elections had proved to be a costly undertaking for the government. A by-election was recently held in Mufumbwe after Stephen Masumba was expelled from the MMD.

"We don't think that we should be having by-elections for the sake of having these by-elections because experience has shown that we waste a lot of resources over the campaign period and the hosting of by-elections. The resources are so much needed in other aspects of economic development. Talk of issues of the need for resources to be pumped into education, health, creation of employment, especially for our youths," he said.

"We should avoid at all costs having unnecessary by-elections. Politicians must be prudent in their decisions so much so that they should not waste the much-needed resources."

And Fr Lungu urged the opposition not to abandon its role of providing checks and balances to the government.

"We don't believe that opposition parties must abandon their role because their role is very important. You need people who can look at issues from different angles; from the angle of those in government and also from the angle and perspective of those who are outside government," said Fr Lungu.

Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, CLEOPHAS LUNGU, MMD

posted by MrK @ 4:51 PM