By Jonas Shakafuswa
ELECTION COMMISSION OF ZAMBIA.
ECZ is a Constitutional body mandated to conduct Elections in this Country. Their role is to manage free fair and transparent Elections for the people of Zambia to freely elect their preferred Leaders to manage the the Country on their behalf.
People are represented by Political Parties. This makes political Parties to be Associations which the ECZ has to work with to ensure impartiality in its activities. What we see the ECZ today is that it seems to favour certain political Parties. The Commission has powers to punish Electoral malpractice where it exist. What has been seen in recent by Elections leaves a lot to be desired out of the Commission. You even wonder whether the Judge Essau Chulu led commission deserves to serve on the Commission. Political Parties on behalf of the people of Zambia have to be consulted and agree to how Elections are to be conducted. The Commission of late is behaving as if they are a Court. Judge Chulu should not behave as if he is running a Court where his decisions are final. He has to consult and agree with representetive stakeholder on the manner elections are to be conducted.
Police haven’t conducted themselves very well in the application of the Public Order Act. We expected the Commission to give its position on the conduct of the Police in relation to political gatherings and processions. These are cardinal to Political Parties to meet and prepare the people to elect credible candidates. But today Police are stopping Political gatherings and procession by the opposition. This is denying the opposition the ability to mobilize their supporters in preparation for elections. Such conduct has to be sanctioned by the Commission.
Recently the commission called for a Stakeholder meeting. It was a shameful sight. Stakeholders were given limited time to express very important issues related to Peaceful transparent elections. Who does ECZ represent if it is not the people of Zambia here represented by their preferred Political Parties. An opportunity to hear from the people of Zambia was denied by the Commision. They are seen to be party f the Executive and its Party. The question is whether the Commission with the way they have conducted themselves can run credible free and fair Elections is yet to be seen.