THE Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) has implored the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) to probe election malpractices before a Parliamentary seat is nullified by the Courts of law.
FODEP executive director Macdonald Chipenzi said much as the ACC’s announcement that it would analyse judgments following nullification of some seats was a welcome development, it was important that such a stance be taken prior to the nullifications.
Mr Chipenzi said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that in an event of malpractices, the probe would not serve the intended purpose because some seats that had been nullified before were contested for by former holders of the same seats who went ahead to win the by-elections.
“We see the ACC only reacting now to Home Affairs Minister Edgar Lungu’s statement that former Petauke Member of Parliament Dora Siliya faces prosecution following the nullification of her seat by the Supreme Court due to malpractices. ACC should be proactive and play a role of preventative to stop such practices and not for it to wait until the minister says something or the Supreme Court nullifies one’s seat,” Mr Chipenzi said.
He said the ACC should probe election malpractices from the onset especially that accusations of such were prevalent during campaigns, and not wait until a seat had been nullified.
He said the issue of electoral malpractices had been a contentious one among stakeholders and it was important that the ACC took a strong stance on the matter.
He called on the ACC to engage in probing electoral wrongdoing even in the current preparations for the forthcoming by-elections.
Sound
Its regrettable that ACC is now pf party wing. ACC is operates at the whim of pf. Pf is now using Acc to persecute political opponent and protect pf member eg winter and gbm.
On this i agree with u Chipenzi. Acc must do their work even before the courts nullify the sits. They should not even b seen to so after pf officials have said so.