‘Postponing 2021 elections will be constitutional crisis’

POSTPONING the 2021 general elections will create a constitutional crisis that will have devastating consequences in the future, the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) has warned.

YALI president, Andrew Ntewewe said the election should be held as stipulated by the law amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

Mr Ntewewe said during a radio interview yesterday that a Government that would continue after 2021 without holding an election would not be respected and considered credible.

He said the decisions of such a Government would be considered null and void because Zambia operated on a democratically elected governance system.

This follows insinuations that the 2021 elections might be postponed to a later date due the covid-19 outbreak.

Mr Ntewewe said a Government that would assume power without being elected would be undermined by most citizenry. “The constitution gives every Government a five year mandate. So going beyond the 5 year term with holding an election would create a constitutional crisis. How will that Government make appoints, in whose mandate such Government can be executing their dues will be questionable,” he said.

Mr Ntewewe pointed out that even if the 2021 elections were postponed, it was not known when Covid-19 would end.

He questioned whether the nation would have to wait for 20 years if that was how long the pandemic would stay on.

Mr Ntewewe said an the nation reverts back to normal amid the Covid-19 outbreak, there was need to allow the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to continue its earlier plans it prepares for the upcoming election.