The Electoral Commission of Zambia has proposed to revise upwards, nomination fees for candidates ahead of the 2021 General elections.
According to the proposed fees made available to the media, Male Presidential candidates will now be required to pay K150, 000 from K60, 000 while female Presidential Candidates and persons with disabilities will pay K120, 000 from K60, 000.
Male parliamentary candidates according to the proposal will be required to pay K25, 000 from K7, 500 with female candidates, youths and persons with disabilities expected to pay K20, 000 from K7, 500.
For Mayors, male candidates will now pay K25, 000 from K7, 500 while female candidates, youths and persons with disabilities will pay K20, 000 from K7, 500.
At Council Chairperson Level, male Candidates will be required to pay K10, 000 from K2, 500 while Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities will be required to pay K7, 500 from 2,500.
At the Ward Level the Commission is proposing a K2, 500 nomination fee for male candidates for City and Municipal Councils from K750 and K2, 500 for Town and District Councils from K400. The Commission is proposing that Women Youths and Persons with Disabilities should pay K2, 000 as nomination fee for City and Municipal Councils from K750 and K2, 000 for the same group for town and district councils.
According to ECZ Chairperson Justice Esau Chulu, a meeting will now be called with all stakeholders to deliberate on the proposal which if approved will see the Commission increase fees for the 2021 general elections.
Meanwhile, the Commission has assured stakeholders that as it prepares to start registration of voters between October and November, 2020 it will continue to engage the Treasury to ensure that adequate funds are made available in time for this important national exercise.
Justice Chulu has also reiterated that the Commission has no mandate to postpone a General Election as the date is now enshrined in the Republican Constitution.
“Article 56 (1) states as follows: “A general election shall be held every five years after the last general election, on the second Thursday of August”. In this case, the 2021 General Elections will be on the Thursday 12th August”, said Justice Chulu.
Officially opening the ECZ/Political parties’ liaison committee meeting held on Tuesday 16th June, 2020 at Mulungushi International Conference Centre, Justice Chulu said the Commission is, therefore, mindful about the above date and will guarantee that all preparations are made in time for the General Elections next year.
He reminded those that wish to contest the 2021 General Elections to ensure that they start preparing their documentation in good time to avoid rushing at the last minute.
Justice Chulu also said that the appointment of an Electoral Group of Eminent Persons is in line with the Electoral Commission Act number 25 of 2016.
He said the Electoral Group of Eminent Persons is a body made up of highly regarded individuals in Zambia who will act as an esteemed observatory and advisory body to, and on behalf of, the Electoral Commission of Zambia.
Justice Chulu said the EGEP’s aim is to observe the countries electoral processes and provide an independent public opinion as and when need be.
He said the group will further undertake an examination of options for reform in order to bring the Electoral Commission and the country’s electoral process into a stronger and more effective institution and process respectively.
Male children have suffered, why are they fighting inequality with discrimination?
Good move. Time to make money.This should be final, why engage stakeholders?
A COMMISSION FULL OF CROOKS WHO ARE HEARTLESS.ALL,THE YEARS FROM 1964 ZAMBIA HAS BEEN DOING ELECTIONS AND ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED BUT NOW WHY REFUSE THE MONITORS TO GO TO DUBAI TO MONITOR THE PRINTING?MIND U THE MONEY IS TAX PAYERS MONEY NOT ECL OR KZ, OR RB BUT IT IS A CONTRIBUTION FROM ALL THE ZAMBIANS.WHY,SHOULD THIS CERTAIN CLASS FEEL PRIVILEGED WHILE OTHERS ARE NOT.WELL,SENSIBLE PERSON CAN SMELL A STINKING RAT.CZ PEOPLE HAVE LOST ALL HOPE IN ECL AND PF AND PEOPLE WANT CHANGE.NOW THE ECZ WANT TO DO THINGS IN YOUR OWN WAYS. WHY??NOT,INVOLVING THE STAKEHOLDERS. IF,A LEADER LOOSES GRIP WITH THE GROUND BETTER ACCEPT THE SITUATION NOT FORCING PEOPLE TO ACCEPT WHAT IS IMPOSED TO THEM SO THAT CERTAIN CROOKS LIKE KZ ,ETC SHOULD CONTINUE ABUSING ZAMBIANS. TWAKANA INFWO.AND IS…
This clearly indicates that women are always inferior to men. Their collective contribution to the world order is insignificant. I am not a sexist but these fees just tell us a lot of stories about men and women and what each can contribute to this world let alone this country. Women have for all long time been fighting equality and not favours thats what we should know.
Whoever thought of these discriminatory fees is not promoting women participation in politics in any way. If anything he/ she is saying that women are not as powerful financially as men and that their pockets depend on what men can give them to participate in politics.
Disaster!!!
I wondered about the differences. Is that what the women and people living with disabilities wanted, were they consulted?
This looks like a perpetuating of inequalities.
Why not make fees the same and affordable?
These heartless bunch of f0ols. Whether you hike the fees or not the bottom line is that Lungwu and PF’s damage is un repairable. Next year we are ushering HH and UPND.
Reaping where you didn’t sow.
Excellent news. Reflects the seriousness of governance. I will contribute to mulyolekas nomination fee as he has been very patriotic participating in the constitution forums unlike the childish upnd members
They should have tripled it if anything. Flush out the time wasters
It is PF monetary terms, market price for a bicycle is $120, PF pays $700.
A fire truck of $225000, PF pays $1million.
How much is PF paying road construction per meter?
Proposals are discriminatory on basis of sex. A male president or a female president of Zambia would be the same president in all respects. So, this disparity at presidential, parliamentary, mayoral, council chairman or councillor levels for the fees to be different on the basis of sex should not be entertained or condoned as it implies people’s capacity to meet these fees is assessed on gender basis – BID.
The upwards increase of these nomination fee proposals is very high without any justification and it projects an elitist attitude to the ordinary sensible citizens whose capacity to raise such fees would be challenging and yet some individuals in this category would be the most valuable to go to parliament or assume public office for public good. Money should not be the basis of electing Zambians who have the capacity and intelligence to contribute effectively to our democracy. Fees are too high without any meaningful justification.
Nomination fees at all levels be increased by 1/4 of previous fees.
Man, this is not good at all! How are we giving women equal rights here? I will wait for full confirmation, and see what the Women CSO have to say about this.
A cursory glance shows you that we don’t value our women at all, seeing as I am not a woman, I will wait and see what the women themselves think about this.
Let’s hope they will equally award a fair upward adjustment for polling station officers as they are clearly under paid too.
Otherwise this is a very welcome news!!
Irrational distribution of fees. What has gender and age got to do with it? What is the reason for a tiered fee system? To punish men and promote women, youths and partially abled people? These people are sponsored by their political parties, so why should the parties pay less for their female candidate?
It does not make sense at all.
O sense, why have you left my country?
Does this mean ECZ considers women being equal to disabled people…I agree with lesser fees for the disabled people..but women want equality…why the hell shud they pay less…but get equal pay and power when they win… unless ECZ will reduce those conditions aswell ..
Firstly the fees are too high. What’s the reasoning? Fundraising or eliminating those that are resource challenged albeit able to deliver? This is in spite of the fact that the ECZ already gets billions in it’s budget – some of it donor supported. Secondly, is Zambia confirming it’s treatment of women as second fiddle?
@Wangling, id1ots write in upper case! Why are you shouting? Bast@rd!