TONSE ALLIANCE RESPONSE TO THE MISREPRESENTATION OF FACTS CONTAINED IN THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF ZAMBIA PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED ON 21ST NOVEMBER 2024
Kawambwa, 22nd November 2024
1. The TONSE ALLIANCE is dismayed by the total misrepresentation of facts contained in the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Press Statement issued by its Senior Corporate Affairs Officer, Ms. Silvia Bwalya on Thursday, 21st November 2024. We therefore wish to correct the record as follows:
2. Firstly, the Electoral Commission of Zambia claims that the behavior of the TONSE ALLIANCE was thuggish. We wish to totally reject this characterization. To the contrary, we wish to assert that it was actually the ECZ officials who behaved in a thuggish manner during the filing in of the nomination for our candidate, Mr Danstan Mwansa, on the New Congress Party platform, in the Kawambwa Parliamentary by-election. The TONSE ALLIANCE had been allocated a slot of between 09hrs to 10hrs. The misbehavior of ECZ officials began when we just arrived at the nomination center at around 0928hrs, when they refused to attend to us on account that we were late. We asserted to the ECZ officials that we were not late, as we were well within our allocated window of 09hrs to 10hrs. ECZ officials asked the Police Officers present, to eject us from the nomination center, but we refused to be harassed. After a heated debate, the ECZ officials capitulated and were compelled to attend to the nomination of our Candidate. This behavior by ECZ officials was clearly designed to intimidate us, and was disingenuous and thuggish in nature.
3. The Electoral Commission of Zambia Press Statement further falsely claims that our earlier press statement had stated that the names of office bearers on the fake Registrar of Societies printout produced by ECZ, were written in pen. To the contrary, our earlier press statement did not say that it was the names of office bearers that were written in pen, but that it was the name of the party. Our earlier press statement was actually accompanied by a copy of the said fake printout, and everyone can see for themselves that indeed, the name of New Congress Party was written in pen. We therefore wish to advise the Electoral Commission of Zambia to pay greater attention to detail and not make statements which are false and which have the potential of discrediting the Commission in the eyes of right thinking members of the public.
4. In view of the foregoing, the TONSE ALLIANCE wishes to take this opportunity to assert that the Electoral Commission of Zambia, in its current form, is a compromised institution that is incapable of conducting it’s business in a fair, equitable and independent manner, across all political parties and key stakeholders. Our considered view is that ECZ became compromised the moment that its current Chairperson, Ms. Mwangala Zaloumis was appointed, together with other Commissioners such as Mr. Macdonald Chipenzi. These individuals and others, are well documented supporters and cadres of the ruling UPND party. Therefore, they have continued to use the platform of ECZ to intimidate opposition political parties and advance the interests of the ruling UPND party. However, we wish to categorically warn and caution ECZ that we, the TONSE ALLIANCE, shall not fall prey to their intimidating tactics, and clearly partisan behavior. We are bonafide citizens of this Republic, and we have a right to freely participate in the electoral processes of our nation, without let or hindrance by an evidently biased state institution such as ECZ.
5. Lastly, we wish to appeal to President Hakainde Hichilema to consider replacing the ECZ Chairperson, Ms. Mwangala Zaloumis, as well as Commissioner Mr. Macdonald Chipenzi, as these individuals have a well documented affiliation to the ruling UPND party. For as long as these individuals continue to sit on the ECZ Board, the Commission shall always be perceived, whether rightly or wrongly so, to be biased towards the ruling UPND party. In the interest of peace and good order, it is important to have an independent electoral body, or at least one that has some semblance of independence and objectivity. As TONSE ALLIANCE, we wish to take this opportunity to inform the Electoral Commission of Zambia, and by extension the UPND Government, that we shall not accept to be intimidated and prevented from participating in the electoral processes of our country. And we shall vehemently fight anyone who seeks to disenfranchise us. Thank you.
ISSUED BY:
Sean E. Tembo
PeP President and TONSE ALLIANCE Spokesperson
Kawambwa, Zambia