By Isaac Zulu
National Democratic Congress secretary general Charles Kabwita has charged that the decisions and inconsistencies emanating from the Electoral Commission of Zambia have the potential to cause conflicts in the country.
Kabwita has pointed out that research has shown that if not well managed, elections can cause conflicts among political players and affect innocent citizens.
He said that the decisions that the Electoral Commission of Zambia has been making in the recent past have been inconsistent with the laws that the electoral body employs when managing elections.
“As National Democratic Congress we are dismayed and have been taken aback by the decisions and inconsistencies that have engulfed the Electoral Commission of Zambia. We have realised that the Electoral Commission of Zambia is going against its own rules,” Kabwita said. “The people at the Electoral Commission of Zambia are playing with emotions of majority citizens. And research has shown that elections can cause conflicts if they are not well managed. The ECZ people are want to start a fire which they cannot quench.”
He said that the electoral body has even gone to an extent of disregarding the ruling by the Courts of Law.
“The Constitutional Court pronounced itself on the Kabushi and Kwacha parliamentary by-elections. And in a democracy we expected the Electoral Commission of Zambia to respect that ruling by cancelling the by-elections and call for fresh nominations, but alas the Electoral Commission of Zambia opted to disregard the Court’s ruling,” Kabwita said. “The people that are at the Electoral Commission of Zambia are driving their own narrative and that of the UPND.”
Meanwhile, Kabwita has urged Justice Minister Milambo Haimbe to draw a line between party functions and ministerial duties.
“We have also observed that the Minister of Justice, Mr Milambo Haimbe was jumping up and down in Court advising the UPND legal team on issue regarding the Kabushi and Kwacha parliamentary by-elections involving Bowman Lusambo and Joe Malanji,” said Kabwita. “The Minister should know the dos and don’ts regarding his ministerial position. He is supposed to serve the interest of the Zambian people, who are the taxpayers that contribute money that goes to his salary and allowance.”
