ANDYFORD BANDA RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT 2026 BUDGET
People’s Alliance for Change President Andyford Banda yesterday briefed the media on some key developments in Zambia, and raised some interesting questions.
The first one was on the national budget just delivered by Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane, particularly relating to its provision for elections.
Banda observed that the budget allocation for elections next year is double what was spent by the precious government in 2021.
“The question we would like to find out is why the amount for elections has risen drastically, even doubled. Is it because President Hakainde Hichilema and the United Party for National Development (UPND) know that they will pass Bill 7, and will need this increased amount to do the things coming out of that, like delimitation…?” he asked.
He also wondered why there is still the push to pass Bill 7.
“If Bill 7 is not about boosting chances for winning next year’s elections, they just withdraw it. If you are confident of winning next year’s elections, then just withdraw it, disband the so- called Technical Committee, and regroup after elections. How can you have a technical committee excluding the Law Association of Zambia, who are the people who interpret the laws, or even the church mother bodies?”
He said PAC could not even go into discussing the merits or demerits of Bill 7 because the process being used is wrong. Let us use correct process as this is the only way to produce a strong constitution. “
Banda noted that he had worked with Hakainde Hichilema to campaign against the Patriotic Front (PF) Bill 10, and asked why now that he is President of the country he is doing this wrong thing.
He said since it was every Zambian’s responsibility to protect the constitution of the country, PAC has pledged to ensure Bill 7 does not go through, and called on citizens to resist all these efforts to amend the constitution before the 2026 elections.
On the compressed timetable for nationwide consultation, Banda said it was impossible to do an effective exercise in the seven months left before dissolution of parliament, for the constitution to be trade before elections.
“It has taken the UPND government two years to actualise the Access to Information law, after assent. How can it take them seven months to complete constitutional amendments in readiness for elections?”
All in all, it was a refreshing take on the many failures of President Hichilema’s government, their desperation to pass Bill 7 to survive the coming elections.
Good day
John 8:32 “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
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