WHY BILL 10 SEEKS TO REMOVE ELECTED MAYORS FROM THE CONSTITUTION
Bill 10 seeks to strip the people of Zambia of the authority to elect mayors and council Chairpersons.
Under the current constitution, mayors are elected directly by the people of Zambia, this means that the party can’t remove them and replace them easily.
If the party wants to remove a mayor, they need to be prepared to go to a by election.
This was enshrined in the constitution to allow mayors space to operate freely, independently, professionally and objectively without undue influence of the party.
A mayor is an executive, like a mini president of a town and they are somewhat immune from external party influence.
This is the problem that PF has had with Miles Sampa and Christopher Kangombe, they act independently and objectively and as a result have clashed many a times with their colleagues in PF, and the PF has no power to remove them, even Lungu can’t remove them from office unless he’s willing to risk by elections in Kitwe and Lusaka.
What Bill 10 proposes is to go back to the old system, where mayors are effectively appointed by the party and the President.
This way the president can control mayors, appoint puppets and he can remove them at freewill without facing a by election. Mayors become bootlickers.
It takes away the independence, professionalism and objectivity of the high office of mayor and turns it into a puppet office controlled by the President.