THE Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) in Eastern Province has described as exorbitant the adoption fees that some political parties are charging for this year elections. CSPR Eastern Province Coordinator, Samson Mbewe, said the high application fees for candidates had the potential to discriminate the youth and women from contesting in this year’s general elections.
Mr Mbewe noted that the fees did not promote youth and women participation in politics as majority of them had no financial capacity to pay for applications in their various political parties.
He said the country would disadvantage itself from benefiting from the good leadership that the young and energetic possess. Mr Mbewe urged political parties to provide a conducive environment for the young people and women to aspire for political office by reducing the application fees. Meanwhile, Youth Development Foundation (YDF) Executive Director, Chinoya Muyeye, described the high fees as a mockery on democracy and an impediment to youth par[1]ticipation in the political processes.
Mr Muyeye said the fees were not affordable to the young people considering the economic downturn that the country is passing through. He warned that if political parties did not rescind their decision, youth participation in the August polls would be affected as majority would not afford to pay the high fees. Some political parties were charging as much as K5 000 for those applying to be adopted as candidates in the forthcoming parliamentary polls.
