MWAMBA CALLS ELECTORAL REFORMS ILLEGAL
Things are happening quickly ahead of 2026 elections.
Emmanuel Mwamba has described the Electoral Reform Technical Committee report to be submitted this week as illegal.
Zambia goes to the polls next year in August.
But Mwamba who speaks for the main opposition says the reforms that have been going on are illegal.
He writes:
ERTC Illegal, so it is its outcome document
Mwangala Zaloumis’ illegal Electoral Reform Technical Team is expected to deliver its illegal report abd findings to the Minister of Justice
In October 2024, I wrote the following;
Illegal ERTC Begin Sittings
ECZ Chairperson, Mwangala Zaloumis has no powers or mandate to establish or set up the Electoral Reforms Technical Committee ( ERTC) to undertake comprehensive review of the Electoral system.
Zaloumis has appointed her former colleague in UNIP, former Minister of Finance, Rabson Chongo, to head the illegal body and has given him mandate to recommend legislative, administrative, and policy frameworks that require constitional amendments or procedural changes.
In 2003, President Levy Mwanawasa appointed an ERTC actually chaired by Zaloumis. Records show that he delegated the Minister of Justice, George Kunda to appoint an independent committee drawing stakeholders from the Law Association of Zambia( LAZ), non-governmental organisations, the Church, women and youth organisations and members from media assocuations.
Zaloumis’ illegal Committee has since began to conduct public sittings to purport to collect views from stakeholders in provinces.
What Zaloumis is intending to do is the work of the Zambia Law Development Commission, whose legislative powers is to recommend, propose repeal or reform the law, or the President who can commission such work and findings under the Inquiries Act.
I wonder what vault or budget line Zaloumis is using at ECZ to expend these public resources on an illegal and illegitimate process. It smells audit querries and unlawful expenditure all the way.
Zaloumis cannot reform herself or her organisation. ECZ is a creature of the Constitution and only the people through established legal mechanisms can amend or reform the Constitution and its laws.
If President Hakainde Hichilema wishes to reform electoral laws or systems, he probably has been informed of the required process. It cannot be through such a sham and illegal process by a body without power or mandate.
But what do we expect? Lawlessness and unconstitionalism has become the hallmark of this administration.
IF YOU ARE NOT RESIDENT IN ZAMBIA DO NOT RAISE DUST FOR ZAMBIANS BASED AT HOME.
YOU DONT CARE IF VIOLENCE BROKE OUT BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT BE AFFECTED.
YOUR ARTICLES ARE ALWAYS AIMED AT PROVOKING ANGER AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DAY.
YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE BUT FAILED MISERABLY WITH YOUR BIASED FAVOURS FOR YOUR OWN AND YOUR COUSINS. RECORDS ARE AWASH WITH THIS.
PLEASE LET ZAMBIA REMAIN THE WAY IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN – TIYENDE PAMODZI NDI MTIMA UMO.