STOP WASTING ZAMBIANS’ TIME IF YOU CANNOT ENFORCE RECOMMENDATIONS, KALABA TELLS EU OBSERVERS
Citizens First (CF) leader Harry Kalaba has challenged the European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission to move beyond producing election reports and issuing recommendations, arguing that such efforts serve little purpose if there are no concrete measures to ensure their implementation.
Mr Kalaba says while he agrees with the recommendations contained in the EU Election Observation Mission’s report, he did not mince his words during a meeting with the observers, telling them that they were wasting their time if they could not find practical ways of ensuring that their recommendations are enforced.
Speaking to Zambian Watch yesterday, Mr Kalaba disclosed that he reminded the EU observers that they had been producing election observation reports and making recommendations on Zambia’s electoral processes since 1996, yet many of the concerns raised over the years continued to persist.
He questioned the value of repeatedly highlighting electoral challenges and proposing reforms when little appeared to change on the ground.
According to Mr Kalaba, election observation should not end with the publication of reports. Instead, international observers should go a step further by pushing for meaningful action and ensuring that the authorities responsible for implementing electoral reforms are held accountable.
He argued that without practical enforcement mechanisms, election observation reports risk becoming routine documents that identify problems without delivering lasting solutions.
Mr Kalaba’s remarks come amid renewed debate over electoral reforms, the credibility of Zambia’s electoral processes and the role of international observers in strengthening democratic governance.
His challenge has also reignited an important question: What is the point of repeatedly documenting electoral shortcomings and recommending reforms if the same problems continue to feature in election reports year after year without meaningful action?
Zambian Watch.