THE National Constitutional Conference (NCC) delegates yesterday failed to reach a consensus on the 50-per cent plus one threshold for the election of the Republican President.
NCC chairperson Chifumu Banda said after calling for a division in which 131 delegates rose in support of the proposal that the issue would have to be put to a vote and deferred it.
The decision to subject the issue to a vote followed a heated debate with some delegates supporting the proposal while others were against.
The officials from the Electoral Commission of Zambia will have to be called in to conduct the elections on the matter either today or some other time.[quote]
Meanwhile, the NCC adopted the proposal by the conference’s democratic and governance committee that there should be at least 30 per cent of gender representation in elective public offices.
The NCC adopted the recommendations when debating Article 94 of the Draft Constitution, which stipulates that the electoral system shall ensure a representation of each gender, is not less than 30 per cent of the total number of seats in the National Assembly, district council or other public elective bodies.
Contributing to the debate, delegate Pixie Yangailo, representing the Human Rights Commission, said Zambia had made minimal progress in female representaion at governance level.
As such, Ms Yangailo said there was need for the nation to stop being rhetoric and ensure that it increased gender representation in elective public offices.
Ms Yangailo proposed that in fact, the percentage should be increased to 50 per cent but other delegates settled for 30 per cent.
But another delegate, Martin Mwale said as mush as he was in support of the recommendations by the committee, the positions should be held because a particular individual was competent to be the office holder and not based on gender.
[Times of Zambia]
Do you seriously need to call in the electoral commission to count hands for and against. Come on pipo there are only 131 hands,
#1 it is about secret ballot that is why we need ECZ.. Follow your name’s advice and stop smoking. Whoever wins or loses this vote should not complain, particularly those who boycotted the sitting. This is were their participation would have counted, than just insulting in the streets. If it is simple majority, it shall be simple majority and if it is 51+1 it shall be 50+1. Everybody should respect the results. All sections of the society have been given an opportunity to take part in these delibareations and nobody should complain about its outcome if the chose not to take part.
Why wasn’t the election conducted there and then? This is what is delaying the whole process! Now they have been set back by a day.
2
MMD Chief – Notice that its MMD ministers opposing this clause. Reason? The MMD can not win a rerun. The last electin showed your RB had 718,355 votes against Sata’s 683,150 and HH’s 353,018 which means Sata and RB were going to recontest and HH would have played power brokers role. MMD is not sure HH;s could have backed them – he obviously was going to back Sata hence MMd’s opposition to the clause.
#4 Deja Vu, I think you are committing a sin called a Fallacy of Composition : Meaning what is true for one is true for many. That is wrong. If BOZ prints a lot of Money and gives it to you, you will be certainly rich, but if BOZ prints a lot of Money and gives it to Zambia, Zambia wont be rich. The story is well known in Zambia. What is true about one case cannot be true about all cases. You are wrong my friend.
What makes you you that those who votes HH would vote for Sata? You don’t know whether a vote for HH was a protest VOTE against Sata. There are numerous cases where the MMD has beaten a combined opposition in many by elections. even in Solwezi we did not lose by that much. In MMD we are happy to let you make that assumption
We all know who is oppossed to the 50+1. They enjoy being minority Presidents. Whats the fear? We want a President who will be accepted by the majority of Zambians!
# correct, we must learn to accept results. Some opposition presidential candidate has even stopped talking about 50% +1 a clear indication that they are neither for it nor against although for sure they will condemn whatever result. Most people have actually realised that the 50% + 1 favours the rulling party much more than the opposition. i.e A rerun with Sata would mean Southern, Western and Northwestern going to MMD by landslide margines or complete apathy because there is no way these people can vote for Sata. In a similar fasion, a rerun with HH would mean Northern, Luapula and copperbelt Going to MMD by landslide margines or complete apathy because there is no way these people can Vote for HH. Splitting of votes therefore favours the opposition more than MMD .
#5 MMD Chief Bootlicker
Nice observation on the fallacy.
NCC is trully a waste of money. This body was formed to add to the constitution all issues which were not included as the CRC went round getting views from the people. 50+1 was overwhelmingly votted for in the CRC hence adopted in the draft constitution. Secondly, this debate was discussed intensively from 2005 to 2007. All people wanted it becouse we have all seen the problem with a minority president. Shame that the Chairman of this NCC can not guide the house on what needs to be discussed. On call ECZ, thats another scandle. We shall not be shocked to hear ECZ paid K1B to count these 131 hands. This needs no secret ballot becouse from the debate they already know from themselves who is for or against. Its a waste of time and money
I can see another Constitutional review after 2011.
How was a consensus going to be reached? was there going to be a vote or what? if so who was going to declare that it has been reached. These are all cheap politics. The chairman should have known that at the end of a debate a vote is going to be taken, they should have brought in the Electoral commission to conduct the votes there and then. For now the votes will be compromised
# 5 the point is RB was not a popular leader. that is what # 4 is trying to say. you also dont know where those votes would have gone to. it however makes sense for opposition to oppose the govt than the opposition opposing the opposition. it is a very rare occurrence
I see a misunderstanding of issues. The reason we have NCC is too look at the Mungomba commsiion recomendations , yes RECCOMENDATIONS. Now when a deadlock is reched for the sake of transperancy they call in an independent institution or an institution that is not party to the proceeding and is specilaised in an the counting of votes. As t for the NCC being a waste of money.#9 free at last I disaagree they have come up with good resolutions . I would advise all to look at the recent report from SACCord. Though i feel it would have done better if the Goverment had not altered the composition that the Mungomba commision had recomended
For me I surport the 50 +1 but when i think critically I cant see how is enhances democracy. Probably they is a belief that the rulling party will lose on the re run. However this may not be the case. It would maybe work in other democracies were the President is not so strong but here if you form a coalition government you are still at the mercy of the President
#5 MMD Chief Bootlicker- You analyze very nicely, but unfortunately you forget that the submissions on this clause were made by the majority of Zambians. I must mention to you although you already know but deliberately pretend not know, Levy opted for the NCC instead of the CA because he wanted to have commission which he could easily manupulate. That is why he even rushed it through parliament to make it a crime to oppose the NCC.It was all about self preservation but alas he could not live long enough to see the mess he has caused. What I said is true the only reason your party is against the 50+1 is not for Zambia but MMD’s prolonged stay in power by winning by 2% in every election. KK used allsorts of tricks but his time had to come
Good point # 10. how was the consensus going to be reached? can someone please explain to us
#14 thank you for sharing your wisdom. These 131 people can not differ with the view of the majority Zambians who want the 50+1. its MMD’s self preservation trick to borrow your words. Again like you have said, it wont be long before the will of the people prevails over MMD’s evils.. If KK wamuyaya could go, sure the hour will come and the hour is now that the MMD must go.
whatever u say u guys, just check on who is opposing the 50%+ and you will guess right why they dont want it..period..and why the ECZ conducting the election on this one? we all know the composition of the ECZ, well, the result is already known..NALEKA..!!
Voters need to be educated so that they vote on the basis of party manifesto not on the basis of being given Ubunga nangu Suger as it was before in Eastern province. Though a rerun is expensive, it other enhances the credibility of whoever win at the end of the day.
Looks like our government prefers having the majority of Zambians in opposition so that pipo like Shika can work. Mind you, to them work means reacting to whatever the opposition says!!!
…simply put….2011 elections should be about changing the government. Which ever way you look at it, the MMD government have had a share of their failures, let a different government bring create its own but surely Zambians deserves better! 50%+1 vote is the first step in the right direction.
The MMD are the ones opposed to this.Come on guys we are tired of being ruled by minority persidents.
I thought the 50%+1 is a done and dusted deal… What is MMD fearing? Sometimes 1+1 is not always equal to 2, so there is no need to fear that the previous elections are a recipe for their loss in the second round. All I am interested in is that the will of the people prevails. But the thought of Sata and his unstable and unpredictable mouth makes me shudder…. Uhhhhhhh
If you look at the composition of those voting hands, its ministers and most of those compromised pastors and bishops who are against the zambian people’s wishes, its very shameful. #14 and 16 i like your analysis.
what you must understand is even sata or HH does not oppose simple majority because it vavours all of them.It is the pipo of Zambia who wants 50+1 not polilical leaders.
I thought it was clear that 51% vote for the presidency is key to unity in the Country. What are these imposters arguing about? Do they really want a minority president? Do they know the cost of indecision due to lack of popular support? Come on, if people cannot win outrightly, they can form coalition governments and compromise until the next elections are held or go for a re-run whichever is in the best interest of the Country. But, we also mus be sure that a popular President can be very dangerous if the powers are not curbed. Too much power in a very popular person builds a monster you may fail to dismantle. So reducing the powers of the president before agreeing on the 51% clause would make sense to me.
#25, the issue of presidential power you have raised is vital but your fair of monistership is unfounded. Wheather we have a majority or minority President, they can still turn to be a monister. I agree with you that we must reduce the powers of the president but not as a condition to progressing on implementing the 50+1 which was decided and endorsed by Zambians themselves and not these imposters to borrow your words..
# 25, DUDE , I THINK YOU ARE MIXING TWO THINGS HERE, A POPULAR PRESIDENT AND A POWERFUL PRESIDENT. A POWERFUL PRESIDENT CAN EVEN BE FROM THE MINORITY. THE MAJORITY WANT A POPULAR PRESIDENT. DEMOCRACY IS ABOUT MAJORITY. THE ISSUE HERE IS ABOUT A POPULAR PRESIDENT. THE ISSUE OF POWER IS FOR ANOTHER DAY,
This all process would have come to an end if these people sitting on NCC had the heart to serve the people of zambia, for howlong is the NCC going to sit? They should have made targible resolutions and recommendations by now and come up with a constitution that will stand the taste of time. Elections are around the corner and we need this to be done now. 50% +1 will be vital to serve us from current suspious way every elections are handled by both running and opposition parties.
Theoretically 50+ 1 makes sense to some people, but what happens in an event of a tie (draw)?
You all forget that George bush lost the popular vote to Al Gore but still won the election in 2000. Did it mean that Bush as the American President was illegitimate. Whether tha 50%+1 is good depends on what type of country you are.
The all idea is to have a president who will be popularly elected.The issue of numbers is very critical.If the President is not elected by the majority,the result is wasting a lot of time policting to concretise his stay.We want development viva 50+1
Going round in circles (as usual).
Even DRC with a shaky Government has 50 + 1. What a shame Kafupi has brought to Zed.
Poho yensu. I found this all very theoretical. Lets take the 2001 election for instance. LPM got 29 % and Mazoka got 27%. So if they was a rerun and one of them won how does he become a popular president . What happens if you have a lower turn out of voters as in 30 % of those who voted in first round dont vote. For me while the idea sounds great I ask what difference does it make
#34, I agree with you,as much as it sound like the ultimate epitome of a democratic election, I want to be realistic and consider other factors other than having a majority choice of president in power. What happens when a re-run is conducted and we still do not get that 50+1. Not forgetting the logistics and costs that come with a re-run, how many times we will conduct elections to obtain that 50+1…when does it stop.
Let us have a national refrendum so that every citizen votes. Not only those mmd guys at the NCC. What a useless vote on an important matter of the country. 50 + 1 is a must in our constitution.
While to Shika anything and the referandum is expensive, nothing is cheap in a democracy! Not even a re-run! It does not make sense to cry wolf! when the issue is done and dusted with! Let us look for the money for the 1. referandum 2. 2011 Presidential and general elections and 3. Possible Presidential re-run. Boycotting of NCC deliberations by the Opposition, Church mother bodies and little known pocket(Brief case!) NGO’s has come back to hit at them. These were the issues you needed to address! You only have yourselves to blame. You shot yourselves in the foot! 297 minus 260 is 37 votes! I should say the NCC chair was intimidated by govt! You had a personal issue with LPM over CA/NCC. Look to co-operating partners for financial help!