Mon, 28 Aug 2017 12:58:05 +0000
By Kelvin Siabana
THE Green Party says the ugliest governance scar that resulted from Zambia’s 2016 presidential elections is the emergence of geopolitics of regionalism.
Green Party president Peter Sinkamba said Zambia was now politically divided into two political enclaves: the north-east political enclave and the south-west political enclave.
Mr Sinkamba said if President Edgar Lungu proceeds to present the controversial Political Parties Bill to Parliament, then PF will surely be entrenching the ugly governance legacy of geopolitics of regionalism.
“It will be shocking that President Lungu allows his Government to do so when the nation is crying for divine interventions to decapitate the emergence of enclave politics from the face of Zambian politics,” Mr Sinkamba said.
The Green Party has urged President Lungu to reflect deeply, pray and fast over the proposed Bill because the ulterior motive is not to promote national interest but rather advance cheap and selfish partisan mileage.
“If shockingly President Lungu allows the Minister of Justice Given Lubinda to proceed with presenting a Bill to Parliament which ultimately promotes geopolitics of regionalism, we call upon all UPND MPs not to selfishly vote in favour of the Bill, though the Bill is aimed at benefitting the PF and their party,” said Mr Sinkamba.
The Green Party has urged all Independent parliamentarians and progressive Backbenchers not to support such a retrogressive Bill.
“As the Green Party, we believe the current policy of using Constituency Development Fund (CDF), as a framework for financing socio-political activities in constituencies and wards, is fair enough. Such a policy does not in any way promote enclave and selfish partisan politics,” said Mr Sinkamba.
He said following a heated debate on the criteria for funding political parties to be included in the constitution, it was argued that if funding was going to be based on seats held in Parliament by a political party, then such criteria would have ultimately benefitted UNIP and Dr. Kaunda as all seats in Parliament then were held by UNIP.
“In any case, political parties, like the Green Party, have not been consulted on the Draft Bill by the Justice Minister,
“In this regard, we therefore urge President Lungu to inculcate in his ministers a culture of consultations with key stakeholders on matters that directly affect them,” said Mr Sinkamba.
