The Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) says the fifty plus one clause for a winning presidential candidate is a preferable mode for Zambia’s electoral system.
ZEC Spokesperson Fr. Paul Samasumo said Zambia needs the fifty plus one clause to eliminate any dissent after an election.
Fr. Samasumo was reacting to concerns by the Muslim Society in Zambia that the fifty plus one clause is expensive for Zambia and a recipe for anarchy.
He argued that there is no problem with the clause because Zambians are in support of it.
He added that in various constitution review commissions the Church, Politicians and Civil Society Organizations have consistently made submissions for the need to have the fifty plus one clause as the winning threshold for the presidency.
Fr. Samasumo said the fifty plus one vote clause will help in having a President voted for by the majority of people as opposed to the current system.
[QFM]
ZEC you are speaking sense. zambians have made it clear that there should be a majority president not one elected by one ethnic group just because they are more in number. keep it up
Your comment is very undemocratic, most people who may have voted for PF have no such dangerous interests than you people in the fore front. Most of the times people who bring confusion are the educated and well informed fellows like you! The villagers are busy in the bush collecting mushroom and worms for supper, whilst you guys who drink coffee are busy fighting each other trying to take away the only right they exercise!
Matipa be fair in your judgement you are one tribalist blogger the sentiments tells it all, chill dear and fight for the right thing because it is right and not, otherwise.
The muslim society is right, it is expensive,
The zambia government if at all they are as democratic as they preach should award them a Radio Licence and TV license they have been seeking
They should also approve the 2 temples they have refused them to build
Muslims are treated appallingly in zambia considering that they have the majority of ‘good shops’ in kamwala and town
They need answers
Thanks
It is good only that it is way too expensive.But since democracy is not cheap we just have ignore the negative effect it will have on our economy and go for it.
Democracy has always been expensive so if you have no money go back to monarch or some kind of autocracy
if zimbabwe can afford it, can we fail sure? it is more costly to have a wrong person in state house because of tribal voting than running a 50% + 1 cluase that ushers in a correct person by zambians’ majority vote.
what u think guys?
Yes sata must go.
Ni marubish. It will just intensify tribalism and regional politics apart from being expensive.
ZEC, you are actually right, but that is the very reason that has brought the current impasse. As we all know pf came into power by about a 40% win and in 2016 this is bound to reduce drastically, and in the run off, the pf will definitely lose. The fact is that pf is looking for a way out, the latest being the Mansa statement by the president.
I believe it’s the feeling of the majority that this is the way to go but unfortunately, it’s like someone is throwing spanners in the works! So many confusing statements from the same camp. Just look at this: “We will deliver a people driven constitution”, “50%+1 not feasible for Zambia”, “We will not interfere with the work of the committee”, “WE DO NOT NEED A NEW CONSTITUTION,BUT JUST TO AMEND THE EXISTING ONE!”, “People should correctly construe the president’s statement”, … blah blah blah blah! Twanaka nafyo!
Yes 50% + 1 or better still 60%+1.
Batampako! These muslim groups are a problem when they start getting involved in politics – throughout the world. Watch out! today they are talking, tomorrow they will be holding a grenade. Cf what is happening in the Central African Republic.
iwe chi ZP, chipombozi. Bushe niwiso uwaletele sata?he must go,who are you?
Sata must go bcoz he is more than old
“Fr. Samasumo said the fifty plus one vote clause will help in having a President voted for by the majority of people as opposed to the current system.” The Matero graduates considers the current system as a majority leader system. A 50+1 system will strengthen our democracy of having a true majority Govt unlike the current system where a party that scoops 42 % and their members celebrate that they are the majority party disregarding the 58% of the electorate who did not choose the minority party in Govt.
3/6 = 50%, 4/6 = 66.67%, 4/10 = 40%, 49/100 = 49%, 3/5 = 60%; Mathematically 50 + 1 is not a majority vote because of the changing denominator (actual voters).
What makes UPND more popular in Southern province is not because of any policy but rather tribal politics.
I can further make an inference that what leads an intelligent engineer like Charles Milupi to leave Kitwe or Copperbelt, where he spent most of his working life and decide to launch his political career in his home village is because of tribal politics.
The biggest problem in Zambian politics today is tribal politics and 50 + 1% is not the solution.
The monk is right. We should not hide behind a small leaf, Tribalism and Regionalism is a problem in Zambia, that is why Kaunda brought one party state.
it is good but if nobody scores 50+1, it would mean a re-run, hence, expensive.