UPND Leader Hakainde Hichilema says the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s new nomination fees for various categories of candidates, for next year’s elections are totally unacceptable and an affront to the principle of constitutional democracy, that encourages inclusiveness of all citizens that wish to aspire for public office.
Mr Hichilema says the fees are unaffordable and are clearly an attempt by the Establishment to maintain the status quo and also exclude the youth, the women and other disadvantaged groups that were already struggling in the 2016 elections, to raise nomination fees, inorder to take part in the elections.
He says Politics should not be the preserve of the rich only but that every citizen that has the vision and the capacity to contribute to the wellbeing of Zambia must be allowed access to enter the arena.
Mr Hichilema has demanded that the ECZ must immediately level the playing field and reduce the nomination fees to sensible levels.
Meanwhile, GEARS Executive Director McDonald Chipenzi says the proposed nomination fees for 2021 prospective aspiring candidates for elective political positions are very exorbitant and beyond the reach of majority candidates.
Mr Chipenzi says participation in elections will now be a preserve of the rich or those with money and proxy to money and the powerful in society.
“We are now merchandising elections in Zambia which may lead to poor service delivery to and representation of the people in wards, districts and constituencies including at national level as those that will manage will first work to lootback their money”, he said.
Mr Chipenzi has warned that if not careful with these increases in fees, soon the poor will be perpetually marginalised and ruled by the rich, electoral shylocks and the wealth.
“Imagine a K25, 000 payment to ECZ as nomination fee, add up another, say K15, 000 party application fees demanded by political parties which will bring the total to K40, 000 for nominations and applications for adoption for elective positions which is just far too much for a people living in country with struggling economy and majority are poor”, he added.
Mr Chipenzi said this is commmercialisation of elections and suffocating the electoral democracy and rendering ECZ as a capitalist agent.
“There has been argument on Bill 10 that MMPR electoral system is to increase women, youth and persons with disabilities effective participation in the governance, are these exorbitant fees proposed not undermining this argument? The categorisation is also unfair in as much as they indicate recognition of different abilities of persons. Will benefits accruing once one wins going to be categorised also to an extent that those who paid more will get more in terms of allowances and salaries?”, he said.
Mr Chipenzi said this is not even positive discrimination but discrimination of the youth and persons with disabilities as they are seen as lesser and disabled human beings.
He urged the ECZ not to turn into an institution for profit but facilitator of effective citizens participation in the electoral process which accommodates both the poor and the rich.
Mr Chipenzi said these fees are a clear blockade to realisation of effective citizen participation in the electoral process.
However, Mr Chipenzi said it is good that ECZ threw the proposed ball of exorbitant nomination fees to political parties and hope political parties will take the interest of majority Zambians.
“It is our considered view that political parties will not be selfish at this hour but consider the plight of the people and create a conducive environment for that effective measure of participation for all whether poor or rich”, he added.
Mr Chipenzi said this jump in nomination fees is humongous and quite absurd.
He said whilst the recognition given to persons with disabilities, women and youth is commendable, their nomination fees those for everyone should have been pegged a lot lower considering that the commercialisation of politics remains one of the major barriers for persons with disabilities to participate as candidates in our electoral process.
Mr Chipenzi said politics should be a competition of ideas among citizens not deep pockets among the rich and the wealth.
He said this will give political parties another reason not to adopt persons with disabilities, women, youth and those with shallow pockets yet with heavy and deep ideas.
Mr Chipenzi said adoption processes in political parties are already marred with high level of corruption and now.
“Nothing has changed in the economic lives of our people to warrant a 100% nomination fees increment. Instead, their incomes have been eroded by high inflation and depreciation of the local currency against the major convertible currencies”, he has said.
“This is why we demand for local or nearby printing of ballot papers to reduce on cost incurred by ECZ which it is now passing on to consumers of electoral services like political parties, aspiring candidates and citizens”, Mr Chipenzi said.
He has warned that at the rate people have loved money in the electoral process, soon the country will be told that acceditation and monitoring an election in Zambia will be at a fee.