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BY HOPE MUSONDA
The Conduct of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has come under criticism from different stake holders of society for its conduct in the on-going Kawambwa By-Elections.
Responding to an invitation letter for Chief Mukanta of Kwawambwa from the district electoral officer Bwali Andrew dated 22 November 2024 for a Traditional Leaders meeting slated for Monday 25th November 2024 from 10:00hrs to 12:hrs, which instructed Traditional Leaders to Bring with them to the Meeting 1 returning officer and 20 senior headmen/head-women and that ECZ was to pay the Chiefs an allowance of K700.00 each and 90 litres of fuel costing K2,700.00 while the chiefs returner and the driver each be paid a lump some of K500.00 meanwhile headmen and women to be paid an allowance of K600.00 plus transportation allowance of K300.00.
Socialist Party aspiring candidate Kennedy Kapambwe says the Party is not dismayed that ECZ is doing its best to support The UPND’s agenda where ever there is a by-election because the current leadership on the commission are UPND surrogates that where Appointed by current republican President Hakainde Hichilema to carry out his specific instructions during Elections.
He said it is not surprising that the ECZ called for this particular meeting as it indirectly intended to solicit support on behalf of the New Dawn under the UPND leadership.
He has how-ever expressed concern that
-ECZ is recklessly waste taxpayers money to Blackmail Traditional Leaders the name of stakeholder engagement.
-ECZ chairperson McDonald Chipenzi and the team from Lusaka to get allowances have made it a culture to camp in an area hosting by-elections two days before nomination day up until voting day.
The aspiring candidate states that the Socialist Party is concerned because the UPND does not seem to have respect for traditional leaders in Luapula Province, he says giving traditional leaders and their subjects is not a big problem but it is more concerning to know who’s money it is and for what Purpose due to the fact that by-elections are already suffocating the country’s treasury so why have more wastage on one’s ill-motivated selfish undertaking that is compromising institution’.
He says the SP will not fold its arms and allow such recklessness and abuse to continue as President Hichilema must know that the Party will call him and candles out in all compromised institutions such as ECZ ,to account for this abuse of taxpayers money at the right time.
