National Movement for Progress Party (NMPP) Interim Secretary Logan Shemena has refuted claims that the party will form a pact with the Patriotic Front -PF.

The Party says it will not enter into pact with any political party because alliances have proved to be a failure in Zambia.

Mr. Shemena says at no time has his party met with the PF to discuss the possibility of an alliance.

Mr. Shemena was speaking in an interview with ZNBC news in Lusaka.

He has urged Zambians to disregard media reports that NMPP and the Patriotic Front (PF) are planning to form an alliance.

And PF Secretary General, Wynter kabimba could not comment on the matter.

Recently, the NMPP appointed Former Finance Minister Ngandu Mangande as interim president of the party.
[ ZNBC ]

The Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata has accused government for trying to use underhand methods in the delimitation exercise of constituencies.

Mr. Sata has told QFM news that there is need for the government to explain its move to delimitate the constituencies.

Mr. Sata says the one million increase in the Zambian population does not justify the need to have more constituencies and that government should clearly indicate why the country should have its number of constituencies increased.

Government has initiated a consultative process on the delimitation exercise of constituencies.

This is line with the proposal that has been enshrined in the draft constitution on the need to have the number of constitution increased.

And the foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) has urged the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ)to clearly give the state of affairs on the constituency delimitation exercise.

FODEP executive director McDonald Chipenzi says currently it is not clear when the ECZ intends to increase the number of constituencies.

Mr. Chipenzi has noted that there is need for ECZ to state whether delimitation exercise will be done before or after the elections.

He added that increasing the number of constituencies will also require expanding the seating capacity of parliament to accommodate the new Parliamentarians.
[ QFM ]

A Lusaka man, suspected to be in his mid-twenties, is feared dead after he jumped into a man-made dam in John Howard compound.

A MUVI TV news crew, which rushed to the scene found scores of people overwhelmed by the incident.

The residents told MUVI TV news that the unidentified man is believed to have decided to jump into the dam after a domestic dispute with his wife.

They added that after jumping into the dam, the man was later seen struggling to come out of the water but he later drowned.

By Press time, the man’s body had not yet been retrieved.

Meanwhile, former John Howard ward councilor, Musonda Mwaume has reiterated his call for an immediate closure of the respective dam.

Mr. Mwaume says when he was area councilor, he had demanded that government buries the dam, which was created through illegal stone quarrying.
[ MUVI ]

Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) executive director, Alex Ng’oma has said the ruling MMD is highly tipped to win this year’s elections, especially with a fragmented opposition movement.

Dr N’goma, who is also a political scientist from the University of Zambia (UNZA) said in an interview in Lusaka that the opposition had degenerated and could not provide a formidable force against the MMD.

He said for any society to have a healthy democratic process, a strong opposition and a strong ruling party were inevitable but that given the current scenario, it was evident that the opposition was in disarray following the dissolution of the alliance between the United
Party for National Development (UPND) and the Patriotic Front (PF).

Dr N’goma said the fragmentation in the opposition had caused a serious weakness that would only work to the advantage of the ruling MMD.

Dr N’goma observed that there was no credible challenge for the ruling party in the general elections and this could mean that the ruling party was headed for outright victory.

He attributed the pact’s failure to the PF and UPND leaders’ failure to agree on harmonising their party manifestoes and a candidate to lead the opposition during elections.

“The opposition is too fragmented to provide a credible challenge for the MMD and this means that the ruling party is headed for victory because of a weak opposition currently in existence,” he said.

He advised the opposition leaders to avoid being selfish and place the interest of the electorate first.

He observed that the delays in announcing that the pact had failed was another contributing factor that created anxiety among members of the public and supporters in general.

At a Press briefing on Friday last week, the UPND officially announced its decision to pull out of the pact because it did not want to be part of a process that would endorse Mr Sata as Republican president, describing him as a dictator and mischievous politician.

Party vice-president for administration Richard Kapita said in the two years of interaction, the PF had failed to table a single document spelling out policies on how the country would be governed should the pact formed on June 4, 2009 assumed power.

[ Times of Zambia ]

Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata is reportedly under pressure from the Taiwanese Green Party (GP) to pay back close to US$ 30 million he is alleged to have gotten to finance his 2006 and 2008 campaigns in exchange for land.

Former PF secretary general Edward Mumbi confirmed in Lusaka yesterday that Mr Sata had obtained “millions of dollars” from the Taiwanese who he had promised to give some land if he won the elections.

“Yes I can confirm that Mr Sata collected millions from the Taiwanese. He had promised to give them some land in Luapula if he won the elections. He actually auctioned some land,” he said.

Mr Mumbi said the huge debts that the opposition leader had was the reason why he had become desperate for power.

He said it was sad that Mr Sata had auctioned the land even when he was not Republican president.

“Now that the funders have realised that he (Mr Sata) has no capacity to lead the country they are now demanding their money back,” he said.

He said the US$27, 000 dollars that was seized by South African authorities before the 2006 general elections was part of the money that the opposition leader was getting from the Taiwanese Green Party which has since lost elections.

“He used to collect the money from South Africa but the authorities in that country started following him and that is how they seized the money in 2006. Then he started using Malawi and he was also detected and even deported,” he said.

PF sources revealed in Lusaka yesterday that Mr Sata was under pressure to pay back the more than $30 million which he borrowed.

Efforts to get a comment from Mr Sata and the opposition party’s spokesperson and secretary general Wynter Kabimba failed.
[ Times of Zambia ]

UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema says the way forward for his party is to continue to offer an alternative to the MMD.

He has no intention of forming a pact with the MMD but is willing to work with other opposition parties who share the ideals of his party.

Featuring on a pre-recorded interview with MUVI TV on the evening of March 13, Mr Hichilema said he has no intention of forming a pact with the MMD.

“The people of Zambia ought to choose a team of leaders which will create jobs and business opportunities, especially for young people. We need to employ youths,” he said.

Mr Hichilema said he had learnt a lesson from the Patriotic Front-UPND pact, that people form alliances for different reasons.

“I thought we were all looking forward to serving the Zambian people but I was wrong. At some point, I was told that in Africa, policies don’t really matter, that politicians are more interested in positions,” he said.

“I was told that positions had to be shared quickly in the PF-UPND because that was what mattered most,” he said.

On accusations that UPND is a tribal party, Mr Hichilema said this is a smear campaign by those who have nothing to offer the Zambian people.

“This is an excuse used by people who are trying to bring down others in politics. Those, who preach tribalism unnecessarily cross the line. Nobody chooses to be who they are,” he said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata has accused the ruling Movement for Multi party Democracy MMD of panicking ahead of the forthcoming tripartite elections.

The PF leader said the MMD is condemning the parallel vote tabulation (PVT) because they fear losing the general elections to the PF.

Mr. Sata however stated that the party will use PVT in the coming general elections adding that he is ready to be arrested.

The PF leader said there is nothing wrong with using the PVT and dared chief government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha to arrest him.

Mr. Sata wondered why the MMD have suddenly decided to abolish the PVT when it has always been used during elections.

He told QFM that no law stops a citizen from knowing the preliminary results of elections.

QFM

PRESIDENT Banda has said that the parallel vote tabulation (PVT), which some civil society organisations and donors are advocating, is alien to Zambia and a recipe for conflict.

Speaking on return from South Africa at the Lusaka International Airport on March 12, President Banda said the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) is the only body mandated by the Constitution to conduct elections and disseminate results.

Mr Banda said countries that had been influenced into conducting PVT have ended up with civil unrest, a thing he did not wish for Zambia.

“We have laws in this country. Parallel Vote Tabulation is a stranger to us, it’s alien. We have never had it before. I wish those advocating it could give us the reasons. In any case, in countries where the same people have tried it, like Ivory Coast, up to now there is conflict,” he said.

The President urged people championing PVT in the forthcoming general elections to respect the laws of the land that have vested these powers in the ECZ.

The President was in South Africa to attend the first-ever Africa Investment Summit at the invitation of a leading global news and information company, Thomson Reuters.

Meanwhile, the ECZ has rejected calls by some organisations advocating a PVT system.

The commission has said it will not endorse a process that has the potential to plunge the country into chaos should the said NGOs mishandle the process.

ECZ public relations manager Chris Akufuna said in a statement yesterday that the commission has strong reservations against PVT because there are some NGOs who have exhibited distinct political inclinations.

Mr Akufuna stated that the commission is skeptical about the NGOs that are politically inclined adhering to procedures regulating the conduct of the elections.

Mr Akufuna explained that ECZ would not be able to absolve itself from possible electoral conflicts and its consequences if the PVT process is mismanaged.

“The commission does not want to endorse a process which, if mishandled, will not absolve itself from the ensuing conflict and consequences because it is the commission that is responsible for all matters pertaining to elections. The commission has strong reservations about the PVT process given the current environment in which there are distinct political inclinations of interested parties and if the PVT is mishandled, could lead to conflict and chaos,” Mr Akufuna said.

He said whilst it is advocated that the results of the PVT would be made known to the commission before publication, ECZ is not convinced that in the current situation there would be adherence to the procedure.

Article 76 of the constitution mandates the ECZ to conduct the presidential and parliamentary elections as well as the local government elections under the Local Government Act Cap 282.

It is the mandate of the ECZ to manage the electoral process and the commission is the only body responsible for the conduct of elections.

The ECZ is the only body mandated to determine as to whether the environment is conducive for any activities pertaining to elections.

Mr Akufuna said that under regulation 15 (6) (f) of the Electoral Act, monitors and observers shall not by themselves or through their organisations declare or disclose the result of any election before the declaration by the commission.

“The commission’s position is that it is solely responsible for the conduct of elections and the announcement/declaration of election results from polling station level. The law clearly provides for the procedure to be undertaken by a person that is dissatisfied or aggrieved by an election result and it is this procedure that should be followed. Even if PVT was to be undertaken, it is the provisions under the law that must be adhered to in the event of a disputed result,” Mr Akufuna said.

Meanwhile, CHIMWEMWE MWALE reports that the Zambia Centre for Inter-Party Dialogue (ZCID) has urged political stakeholders to stick to the existing voting system which has the ECZ as the final and legitimate body to announce election results.

ZCID chairperson Njekwa Anamela said all political parties in the country must recognize the ECZ as a legitimate body and accept the results from its appointed returning officers at polling stations.

Mr Anamela said in an interview with the Sunday Mail that contrary to suggestions by some sections of society the announcements of election results by the ECZ are not controversial.

He said the ZCID has no problems with the ECZ handling and announcing the election results for various candidates as the institution is experienced.

Mr Anamela said the ECZ must be allowed to do its work independently as it is the only credible institution that can announce election data for public consumption.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

PRESIDENT Banda is sympathetic with United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema for the breakdown of his party’s electoral Pact with the Patriotic Front (PF).

In an interview with journalists at the Lusaka International Airport on return from South Africa yesterday, President Banda said it is a pity for Mr. Hichilema because Mr. Sata is not a reliable person to forge a partnership with.

Mr. Banda said the Pact was bound to collapse because Mr. Sata was not trustworthy.

He said it is good though that the two political parties have tried and seen for themselves that they cannot work together.

“Actually I have a lot of sympathy for Mr. Hichilema because Mr. Sata is not somebody who can be trusted. He is unreliable to partner with in an electoral pact. It’s a pity the Pact has collapsed, but they have seen for themselves that they cannot work together,” President Banda said.

He said what remains is for the former allies to face the people and tell them the truth.

Meanwhile, Zambians for Empowerment and Development (ZED) president Fred Mutesa has said the PF-UPND Pact was a forced marriage which has collapsed because it was founded on selfish motives.

In an interview with the Sunday Mail, Dr. Mutesa said the Pact’s agenda of removing the MMD from power was narrow for sustainable co-operation.

“The dissolution of the PF-UPND pact is regrettable and disappointing for the people that had placed their hopes in the success of the Pact. However, as a party, we are not surprised,” Dr Mutesa said.

He said ZED agrees with the UPND that the Pact needed to have a clearly defined programme of action for the post election period.

Dr. Mutesa said the Pact needed to clearly state what they intended to do for the nation because leaders come and go.

“Unfortunately on the African continent we have so many forced political marriages. The marriage between ZANU-PF and MDC in Zimbabwe is on the rocks because of narrow selfish interests. Similarly, the Kenyan Government of National Unity has also been rocked by problems from the word go,” Dr Mutesa observed.

He said political parties wishing to work together should reach an agreement on the strategy for national development, otherwise partnership would just be about sharing positions.

[pullquote]He said the problems of the Pact were not insurmountable had M.r Sata and Mr. Hakainde stepped aside to allow other leaders within their parties re-invigorate the Pact.  “But the question is, are the two leaders capable of making such sacrifices,” Dr Mutesa asked.[/pullquote]

Dr Mutesa said the issue of who becomes president, and how many cabinet portfolios each political party gets should not be the pre-occupation of a political party.

He said the suggestion by the PF that Mr. Sata becomes the presidential candidate and Mr. Hakainde vice-president and that they share cabinet portfolios at a ratio of 60 and 40 percent was an indication of selfishness by the leaders.

“It’s all about what is in it for the politicians, not what is in it for the people. Having a positive programme of action should form the basis of a social contract with the people,” Dr Mutesa said.

He said in future it would be difficult for the two parties to be trusted to form electoral pacts with other political parties.

He said ZED will only consider working with political parties that would put the interests of the people first because they desire to empower Zambians.

He said the problems of the pact were not insurmountable had Mr. Sata and Mr. Hakainde stepped aside to allow other leaders within their parties re-invigorate the Pact.

“But the question is, are the two leaders capable of making such sacrifices,” Dr Mutesa asked.

MMD Lusaka province chairman William Banda has said that the death of the pact is pleasing news to the ruling party. Mr. Banda said that it was obvious that the pact was not going anywhere.

He has however congratulated UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema for the bold decision he has taken to leave the pact.

Mr. Banda told QFM that Mr. Hakainde should not be blamed for the death of the pact as he had tried his level best to ensure that the pact stayed intact but Mr. Sata’s stubbornness made the existence of the pact futile.

He said that Mr. Sata can never be trusted with leadership because of his greediness and appealed to citizens not to back the Patriotic Pront Front as it is a party that lacks morals.

QFM