CONSULT LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS FOR 2021 ADOPTIONS
ALL political parties, have a huge task to mobilise their grassroots structures and consolidate their acts when it comes to adoptions in the runner up to the 2021 presidential general elections.
Stop wasting time debating whether President Edgar Lungu is eligible or not. The best the opposition can do, is to change the strategy and get down to work, that is reality.
Commenting on UPND and Constitutional Lawyer, John Sangwa’s sentiment on President Lungu’s eligibility to contest in next year’s Presidential polls, I wish to echo and support the voice of Patriotic Front Secretary General Davies Mwila, that “President Lungu is eligible to contest, as he had only served for three years and not the purported five years or full term, misinterpreted by other stakeholders in the country.
President Lungu has only served between 2015 and 2016. So going up-to 2021, gives him eight years in total and not the constitutional 10 years. This was the final ruling of the Constitutional Court, so there is no need for the learned counsel, to even waste his time and effort, on this matter.” It’s a done deal and there will be no going back.
However, counting down to August 11, 2021, it will be a wise decision for every political party to get down to work and consult and involve the chiefs and local stakeholders in the respective constituencies and wards, on the credibility, popularity and integrity of the aspiring candidates, especially at Parliamentary level.
With exactly 17 months to go before voting day, the ruling Patriotic Front must also realise that some of its Members of Parliament, purely buy their adoption and popularity. These MPs bribe party officials and members, who in turn coerce or tend to give support of that particular candidate for adoption. In actual sense, true and real adoption, should come from the voters and not imposed candidates.
I challenge the political party adoption process, to be more transparent and fair next year to avoid loss of most seats. If the PF or UPND are going to adopt their imposed candidates, based on the endorsement by the party structures, I can assure them, they will lose their Parliamentary seats to the independent candidates, who maybe the people’s favourite.
The best structures to consult, are the people, the registered voters. There is no value on preference and it will be an embarrassing thing for PF to lose seats to individuals. The 2021 elections will be very decisive and competitive, no matter how much money, the incumbent MPs will spend.
The Chiefs and local stakeholders will be very important to involve in scrutinising candidates. Not party officials or members, who just recommend just because they have been handsomely paid bribes, hand-outs and other appeasements.
President Lungu eligibility is a done deal. The constitution court in Zambia made a ruling and it’s final. We know that constitutional courts in Kenya and Malawi, have set a high bar, by nullifying the election of Presidents in the two countries, respectively.
But dynamics in Zambia are different. PF now is being watched on how, it will perform at its coming general convention, to be held between July 10-12, 2020 at Mulungushi Rock of Authority in Kabwe.
For those of us who are still challenging President Lungu’s eligibility, our only last option is to get on the ground, mobilise the party structures and beat President Lungu and the PF through the secret ballot.
Governance Activist & Independent Parliamentary Candidate.