By SIMON MUNTEMBA
THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) proposed the hiking of presidential nomination fees because it is the lowest compared to other countries in the region, says Vice President Inonge Wina.
Ms Wina explained that the ECZ came up with a proposed increment in nomination fees, after undertaking a benchmarking exercise in other jurisdictions.
She said this during the Vice President’s question time.
“Before ECZ made its proposal, it considered a number of issues including the fact that presidential candidates are required to be issued with a free voters register for all the streams whose cost is estimated at K610, 000 per candidate,” she said.The Vice President was responding to a question from Chimbamilonga Member of Parliament Hastings Chansa (PF) who wanted an update on the proposal by ECZ to hike the nomination fees for presidential candidates.
On June 16, ECZ proposed to revise upwards, nomination fees for candidates ahead of next year’s general election.
According to the proposed fees, male presidential candidates will 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.
Ms Wina said ECZ had engaged political parties and other stakeholders to agree or suggest the figures that candidates should pay during elections.
“I wish to state also that before the political party liaison committee meeting on the June 16, the commission undertook a benchmarking exercise and discovered that the nomination fee was K350, 000 with the highest being Democratic Republic of Congo where the nomination fee is K1.8 million.
“That is why ECZ has engaged the stakeholders and has encouraged them to make proposals for nomination fees to be paid as a final nomination fee,” she said.
