ECZ SAYS IT HAS NO LEGAL BASIS TO MAKE ASSET DECLARATION PUBLIC
By Nelson Zulu
The Electoral Commission of Zambia-ECZ says although article 100(1)(h) of the constitution of Zambia (amendment) Act of 2016 requires presidential candidates to declare their assets and liabilities, the commission has no legal basis to make those declarations public.
In an interview with Phoenix News, ECZ Chief Electoral Officer Brown Kasaro said the commission will maintain its previous practice of receiving the declarations without disclosing them to the public during this year’s electoral cycle.
Mr. Kasaro said publishing the information could conflict with other laws governing the protection of personal information, including the Data Protection Act.
He said the commission must comply with all applicable legal requirements when handling the declarations and cannot treat the matter in isolation from other legislation.
Mr. Kasaro said any move toward public disclosure would require a broader legal review to ensure that all relevant provisions are properly aligned before the information can be released.
PHOENIX NEWS
Someone please help me. Can the Freedom of Informarion act be used to obtain and make public this vital information? The Presidential candidares’ filing to the ECZ of their assets and liabilities is of public interest and I would assume that was the original intention until the former president, Mr. Lungu, dribbled us in 2021.
Legal minds please help!
Presidential election candidates assets and liabilities declarations made to the ECZ are available for inspection at the ECZ premises.
Ba Gunner, we can’t be trekking to Lusaka just to access the records at ECZ. When one chooses to stand for election as President, they cease to be private citizens and as public figures, such records must be in the public domain.
It is vital for us citizens to monitor the progression of the president’s wealth and it also helps us to form a more comprehensive picture of the candidates.
We know what happened with Mr. Lungu from 2015 and 2016 when his assets skyrocketed from K11milliin to K24million in 18 months. No wonder he ensured a veil of secrecy surrounded the declarations for the 2021 elections. He could not account for the astronomical rise in his wealth in such a short time.
The same can happen now.