By Henry Kyambalesa
Public funding of political parties may not make “economic sense.” But since political parties have an express moral obligation to serve the interests of Zambia and all its citizens, they need to be minimally supported through the public treasury to prevent them from falling prey to financiers with personal, corporate, partisan, and/or shady external interests.
Moreover, public funding of political parties is essential in weaning them from the influences of a few members who may have the wherewithal to fund their operations. This will lead to greater intra-party democracy.
Besides, such funding can reduce the enormous political advantage which the ruling political party enjoys over opposition parties, particularly during political campaigns when the Republican president and vice president use public resources at will to travel around the country for the purpose of canvassing for votes.
It can also enable opposition parties to gain some limited access to the mass media, to which the ruling party has free access through ZNBC, ZANIS, Times of Zambia, and the Zambia Daily Mail.
Without the envisaged public funding of political parties, particularly for political parties which are represented in Parliament, the ruling party will continue to dominate political activity in parliamentary and local government elections.
For a host of good reasons, therefore, I am personally in full support of the recommendations made relating to the funding and regulation of the activities of political parties. Implicit in these recommendations is their ultimate potential to promote intra-party democracy, democratic ideals in general, harmonious inter-party relations, national unity, patriotism, fair play, professionalism, and the evolvement of a viable multi-party system.
How refreshing to read something from someone who has actually read provisions of art. 60 of the Constitution Bill. You have struck @ the heart of the objective of art. 60 which the drafters provisioned when compiling and analyzing submissions from Zambians over the last 51 years. A political party envisaged under the constitution bill is not 1 that we know today as a club literally owned by the guy with the most money. A political party under the constitution bill has to have a # of fundamental qualities & characteristics in order to participate in the democratic process e.g. Subscribe to national constitution, have national character, hold regular internal elections, resolve party disputes through judicial system, submit audited accounts, disclose its source of funding, etc. It is a…
Cont.d… It will now be a serious institution considered key to the domocratic process. Financial support (and not funding) will only come once a fund is established under an Act of parliament (I’m assuming the country has to be ready before passing such a statute & I suspect well meaning cooperating partners would rather fund through this route so that all can benefit to promote balanced democracy in Zambia) & if a party has representation in Parliament. It is not the horror picture that Gen. Miyanda is trying to paint. We need to move beyond the unprogressive politics we currently have in place under current & outdated constitution. Zambia is too dynamic for the current system to continue. God Bless Zambia!
I am opposed to using public funds to support political clubs during elections.
What we need is strengthening of institutions and financial management controls.
Stop the president from behaving like he holds title to the parcel of land called Zambia.
We need a nonpartisan institution that should keep an eye on the budget and government spending. An institution that should have the power to prosecute any one found wanting. Members of this institution cannot be fired by the president. Mama Anna Chafungula tried to be that institution but was not given the power to prosecute.
Yeah, the president can use government vehicle and even aircrafts to campaign but others below him must park their vehicles.
There are children who cannot go to school because their parents cannot afford school…
Thank you for clarifying this point. I was seriously concerned with Miyanda’s points but I see he was not thorough in his petition.
…the reasoning lacks merit….consider the following…
1)…if there was to be any funding its supposed to for administration purpose only and not for campaigns…the feared ‘big’ fish will still have to sponsor the individual parties
2)..how do u apportion the funds..?? will Poor Peoples Party will get the same govt funding as MMD, UPND, PF)..??
3)….in UK its by law that BBC is supposed to cover all political parties with equity time, that’s what we need in Zed and not as a result of funding parties….even now UPND has the financial muscle to access ZNBC but the ruling party tactfully wont allow that….
4)…..currently it no secret that our economy has no capacity to sustain such a cost…
5)…..dominating political activities depends on either you good policies, party…
cont’d…
5) domination depend on the party’s good polices, party leader’s charisma and the numbers they attract…
6)…if we had to fund the parties with MPs in Parley will it be by the proportion of the MPs the party has…??
7)…I can go on and on just that the space can’t allow