The supreme court has nullified the election of MMD Chipata Central MP Reuben Mtolo Phiri that losing PF candidate Lameck Mangani had petitioned.
But ailing dictator president Michael Sata today said PF welcomes the by-elections as they are not breaking any laws.
This is the fourth PF engineered by-election that is also likely to be held together with Feira, Kafulafuta, Solwezi East, and now Chipata Central.
Acting Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda is under instructions to nullify all the by-elections under her courts as a condition to be confirmed without going through a parliamentary select committee.
The timing of the ruling and resignations of others from MMD to Pf was also meant to stretch the opposition as the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) is expected to join them so that they are held at the same time.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia has set June 20th as the date for the Feira constituency by-election that fell vacant after the resignation of area MP Patrick Ngoma who defected to the ruling party.
The ruling PF is looking to reach 106 MPs in parliament so as to manipulate the constitution and run government with absolute majority in anyway they want
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
caritas zambia cautions its followers against voting for mp defecting to the ruling pf
CARITAS ZAMBIA STATEMENT ON THE SPATE OF RESIGNATIONS BY ELECTED MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
Within the past two weeks we have yet again experienced additional resignations by elected Members of Parliament (MPs), this time from Solwezi East and Kafulafuta. This is in defiance of strong public disapproval and displeasure with such resignations of MPs for the fact that the resultant by-elections have caused government to spend colossal amounts of money on elections at the expense of the much more urgent social needs in our society. We hear of children dying from malnutrition in our hospitals due to lack of food, we see prices of fuel going up and social projects are stalling due to lack of finances. The list of desperate human conditions that government is failing to attend to is growing, and the excuse being given is that of limited financial resources. How then can our elected representatives be so heartless as to ignore the pain and anguish they are inflicting on poor people in this country by their selfish actions of resignations and causing by-elections? Since the General elections in September 2011, we have seen resignations orchestrated by elections in Chongwe, Mufumbwe, Mpongwe, Livingstone and now three more are pending in Feira, Zambezi East and kafulafuta. This is in addition to several other by-elections occasioned by court decisions!!! This is a governance scandal. Anyone looking for evidence of gross abuse of public resources in our country should not look far given resources so blatantly plundered through these masterminded by elections.
As we have already done on many occasions, we appeal to government to stop encouraging MP resignations through promises of jobs and other privileges. Where is the lean government the people of Zambia were promised if ministerial jobs are open for purchasing political patronage? It is shameful to see very high ranking government officials dancing and jubilating at MP resignation forums with full knowledge of the harm by-elections are causing on the weakest of our society. This is immoral and an act of inconsistency for a government that has proclaimed an option for the poor as a cornerstone of its governance values. The Zambian society must treat this behaviour with scorn and strong condemnation.
We appeal to the people of Feira, Solwezi East and Kafulafuta, to reject the former MPs who have betrayed their trust if they dare seek their votes again regardless on which party platform they come. Your interests are far from their hearts; they are just using you for their personal selfish and greedy motives.
We also appeal to our Diocesan Caritases to refuse to be party to the scandal of by elections by not getting involved in monitoring them. We have persistently, and rightly so, complained about the abuse of public resources through by-elections. Let us not give them legitimacy by getting involved in monitoring them; it is a waste our limited resources and we will be unwittingly undermining the democracy we have for a long time struggled to nature and sworn to protect.
Within the past two weeks we have yet again experienced additional resignations by elected Members of Parliament (MPs), this time from Solwezi East and Kafulafuta. This is in defiance of strong public disapproval and displeasure with such resignations of MPs for the fact that the resultant by-elections have caused government to spend colossal amounts of money on elections at the expense of the much more urgent social needs in our society. We hear of children dying from malnutrition in our hospitals due to lack of food, we see prices of fuel going up and social projects are stalling due to lack of finances. The list of desperate human conditions that government is failing to attend to is growing, and the excuse being given is that of limited financial resources. How then can our elected representatives be so heartless as to ignore the pain and anguish they are inflicting on poor people in this country by their selfish actions of resignations and causing by-elections? Since the General elections in September 2011, we have seen resignations orchestrated by elections in Chongwe, Mufumbwe, Mpongwe, Livingstone and now three more are pending in Feira, Zambezi East and kafulafuta. This is in addition to several other by-elections occasioned by court decisions!!! This is a governance scandal. Anyone looking for evidence of gross abuse of public resources in our country should not look far given resources so blatantly plundered through these masterminded by elections.
As we have already done on many occasions, we appeal to government to stop encouraging MP resignations through promises of jobs and other privileges. Where is the lean government the people of Zambia were promised if ministerial jobs are open for purchasing political patronage? It is shameful to see very high ranking government officials dancing and jubilating at MP resignation forums with full knowledge of the harm by-elections are causing on the weakest of our society. This is immoral and an act of inconsistency for a government that has proclaimed an option for the poor as a cornerstone of its governance values. The Zambian society must treat this behaviour with scorn and strong condemnation.
We appeal to the people of Feira, Solwezi East and Kafulafuta, to reject the former MPs who have betrayed their trust if they dare seek their votes again regardless on which party platform they come. Your interests are far from their hearts; they are just using you for their personal selfish and greedy motives.
We also appeal to our Diocesan Caritases to refuse to be party to the scandal of by elections by not getting involved in monitoring them. We have persistently, and rightly so, complained about the abuse of public resources through by-elections. Let us not give them legitimacy by getting involved in monitoring them; it is a waste our limited resources and we will be unwittingly undermining the democracy we have for a long time struggled to nature and sworn to protect.
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