The debate whether the number of constituencies in Zambia should be increased from the current 150 to 235 is too important to ignore as it evokes a lot of questions.
Why now? Is one of the questions that have driven me to react.
A recent online article has revealed that the Electoral Commission of Zambia is in support of the proposal. That the support is a result of submissions received during the countrywide delimitation sittings and factors outlined in Article 59 of the Constitution that give powers to the commission to delimit constituencies and wards.
When is it going to happen? Is another question that need to be asked.
Unless creation of new constituencies takes place after 2021 election, this is a pure political scam rather fraud.
ECZ chairperson Esau Chulu is trying to manipulate 2021 election outcome; help PF keep control of the parliament. Whether he is doing it consciously or unconsciously, the fact remains the same.
Democracy is about fair competition and number. Zambia has two major political parties at the moment. Patriotic Front (PF) 89 of 156, United Party for National Development (UPND) 58 of 156. Each has its stronghold. Will ECZ create equal number of constituencies in each party stronghold?
It is near to impossible and a breed of confusion. If Hon. Justice Esau Chulu and the Electoral Commission of Zambia does’t see that, too bad.
We have entered a calculating politics stage and it is time to start thinking beyond the lines. Say no to new constituencies for the sake of fair 2021 election. We are winning over violence and propaganda. We must also win over calculating politics.
Many thanks to Highvie Hamududu, President of Party of National Unity. His article on Lusaka Times on this very issue is great though he takes a different approach.
The proposal to create new constituencies must be put on hold until after 2021 election.
So many constituencies in a sparsely populated country! Why being so wasteful?
Job creation is good. I really don’t see anything wrong with creating well paying jobs.
Why aren’t people worried about the dire state of Zambia’s public finances? Where will you find the money to pay for this increase in the size of Parliament? Wht will it take for people to listen? I’m gutted.
Explain this manipulation you are referring to. Upnd is saying the people are saying they want change, so are the new proposed constituencies not going to be in zambia? So if they are talking for the people then no matter their hh will now become national wamu yaya president with no conventions & no elections in zambia for 20 years. Worry not kaili you are going to win
Mysani is a Political Scam.
I support it. Better representation of the people. What do you know? What do you care? You always want to inhibit progress. All you think about is politics. What kind’a animals are you?
Be governed mwe. Enemies of progress.
You oppose everything and everyone.
I support it. Better representation of the people. What do you know? What do you care? You always want to inhibit progress. All you think about is politics. What kind’a animals are you?
Be governed mwe. Enemies of progress.
You oppose everything and everyone.
I support it. Better representation of the people. What do you know? What do you care? You always want to inhibit progress. All you think about is politics. What kind’a animals are you?
Be governed mwe. Enemies of progress.
You oppose everything and everyone.
I support it. Better representation of the people. What do you know? What do you care? You always want to inhibit progress. All you think about is politics. What kind’a animals are you?
Be governed mwe. Enemies of progress.
You oppose everything and everyone.
I support it. Better representation of the people. What do you know? What do you care? You always want to inhibit progress. All you think about is politics. What kind’a animals are you?
Be governed mwe. Enemies of progress.
You oppose everything and everyone.
Pf last kicks of a dying horse, they want to destroy and manipulate everything to their advantage. It’s time zambians wake up and kick these thieves out before they decimate our country. They are way underperforming for them to be changing our laws, regulations and procedures. All our institutions have been captured by lungu, Kaiser can beat you up and you have no where to run to. 2021 is all about rescuing this country from these thieves and sending them to jail
Next time insure you vote for sane LEADERS. This look, feels and smells like SOCIAL ENGINEERING at its best – deception to manipulate citizen’s into a fraudulent vote.
More seats for a Zambia with a slow 2% growth of GDP and high debts means even more burden for the poor taxpayer.Not a wise proposal.
The author is right.
More constituencies means ECZ will start playing around with the voters register. Who’s idea is it to start burdening the tax payers even more? What I learnt in grade 8 civics was that Delimitation is the (re)drawing of electoral boundaries of constituencies, wards, and polling districts for the purposes of conducting elections. It doesn’t necessarily meaning creating more.
If there are any MPs out there who feel their constituencies are too big too handle let them step down.
If the constituencies are too big why not just increase the number of wards, polling districts, stations and streams.
With delimitation going like this it means in future we can reach a thousand MPs.
I’m in the diaspora but I’m beginning to see why politicians attack people in the diaspora. They are out of touch. Zambia’s population and recognizes districts has more than doubled since the membership of parliament was set. It makes sense to increase representation to be more effective otherwise some benefit at the expense of others. Be objective in your analysis
Is this part of austerity measures?
To believe everything else is bad and only hh can sort out everything, is extremism. The interhamwe of Rwanda did the same where they fixed every problem Rwanda had was because of the tutsis, and eliminating them was the solution. Be careful, every GRZ since UNIP has played their part, upnd is and will never be the pinnacle.
… Sorry, wrong post for you…
By increasing the constituencies in PF strong holds the Lungu led corrupt government means they will rig every election in their favour, ECZ is as corrupt as PF of not more, change these thugs or die good luck zambia
PF is sinking. Whatever they try to do in an effort to save their freedom and power shall work in favour of HH for a forward Zambia.
Like the pharaohs tried to resist freedom of the Israelites for a long time, HH shall cross over to rule Zambia and deal with the corrupt who have devastated our economy and livelihoods.
To believe everything else is bad and only hh can sort out everything, is extremism. The interhamwe of Rwanda did the same where they fixed every problem Rwanda had was because of the tutsis, and eliminating them was the solution. Be careful, every GRZ since UNIP has played their part, upnd is and will never be the pinnacle.
This is ridiculous. No one here or whoever was making submissions to this effect has made any convincing reasons for the creation of new constituencies, after all these years. It’s like the reckless creation of districts. What value has this added? What development will be brought by another bloated impotent parliament apart from more expenses and personal allowances? It’s a big country but for that population it’s like ‘more chiefs than Indians’. We have district commissioners, provincial ministers, perm. secs etc., what’s their current contribution in terms of ideas for real change – economic advancement that benefits most?
Most, if not all, the new districts created by PF are while elephants because the Government has no money to complete them and because they were not well thought out. So where will the money come from to pay an additional 100 MPs?
Zambia and other degenerating African countries need one party participatory democracy with a clear succession plan, strong governance systems and zero tolerance to corruption. The so western called democracy has just polarized the country into tribal clans. During the UNIP days, Zambia achived most of what Rwanda is achieving today until the cold hand of multiparty politics took over. All viable companies sold, workers were thrown into abject poverty and many died. The systems we had where garbage collection, street lighting, maintenance of roads etc all gone.