PF TO WRITE TO THE UN OVER RB'S PARENTAGE

The Patriotic Front-PF has threatened to write to the Southern African Development Community SADC, the African Union-AU and the UN on whether the ruling MMD should go ahead and field President Rupiah Banda as its presidential candidate.

PF Secretary General Winter Kabimba has said that the party wrote to the Law Association of Zambia-LAZ to intervene in the matter of President Rupiah Banda’s parentage and his eligibility as candidate in the 2008 presidential elections as well as the forthcoming general elections but wonders why LAZ has been mute about the matter.

He says in 1996 Former President Kenneth Kaunda was disqualified from standing for presidency because one of his parents was not Zambian.

The PF Secretary General notes that the constitution provides that any person wishing to contest the position of Republican Presidency should have both parents who are Zambians a case which the PF suspect does not apply for Mr. Banda.

Mr. Kabimba says if left unchecked people from other nations will be rushing to Zambia to contest for presidency.

He has advised the MMD to start looking for another Presidential candidate as Mr. Banda does not qualify.

However when contacted for comment MMD National Secretary Richard Kachingwe described the allegations as cheap politics by the PF.

Major Kachingwe who is former Zambian High Commissioner to Malawi says the PF has already started conceding defeat even before elections.

MMD KICKS OFF CAMPAIGNS
By Chris Habeenzu
On Monday August 01st 2011 the MMD kicked off its campaign for the 2011 polls at Hotel Intercontinental. Cadres as one would always expect at a political rally chanted slogans all praising Party President Rupiah Banda. One want to ask as to why the MMD President would go and launch his political campaign at the most prestigious venue like the Intercontinental hotel. What would an ordinary Zambian a Zambian who can not afford square meal think about such a party. Not taking away anything from the MMD or what how and where they wanted to launch their political campaign from, it would have been prudent enough to either launch it at a public and ordinary place or something.
Anyway that aside the messages and initiation of the campaign one would wonder whether our politicians have this country at heart. All the would be electorate have heard is character assassination which has not impressed an ordinary villager in Monze or worst still in far flung rural area who still thinks UNIP is ruling.
The Zambian Voters' register has this year attracted more a million new voters mostly young ones who are so anxious to vote but will their first time vote mean anything and translate into something that will pay them back?
Taking the electorate for granted should always be viewed as an unforgivable offense. Fooling more than five million people who are expected to vote this year will surely be unforgivable sin. Politicians need to be wary of their campaign messages and what actions they are taking now.

elections

ZAMBIA GOES FOR THE POLLS IN SEPTEMBER
By Chris Habeenzu
The die has been cast and Zambians are now sure that they cast their votes on September 20th 2011.
With the dissolution of parliament and cabinet this means that legal campaigns have to kick off. For Members of Parliament and Councilors that thought that this day will not come think they are dreaming alas this is true! President Rupiah Banda Thursday July 28 announced the dissolution of Parliament and Cabinet and announced the date for the elections.
This was of course anticipated when State House released a press statement Wednesday that President Banda will host a press conference on ZNBC radio and TV. The exclusion of private media was however not received well.
Away from rather unfortunate move and discriminatory move the date has been set and people will now go flat out in campaigning and putting their manifestos known to their would be voters.
During this period MPS as well as Civic leaders will be forced to face their constituents not in a group but as individuals.
This is a God for all situation but each one for himself. This is the time when law makers become answerable to the electorate.
With the date known for the polls no opposition has announced the parliamentary candidates which political pundits say is not a good move. The pundits are saying that delays by some political parties to come up with the list of candidates will disadvantage the aspirants.
The race to Manda hill has began and Zambian voters have started putting their particulars in place.

MMD rejection of candidates
By Chris Habeenzu
The ruling MMD last week released the names of their adopted members of parliament to contest the one hundred fifty constituencies.
A few days after making known the names of parliamentary aspirants, the party has been characterized with protests all aimed at rejecting candidates which they claim were imposed on them.
The ruling party's lower organs have show unhappiness over the manner the MMD's National Executive Committee (NEC) to come up with what they say were not their preferred candidates.
Way before the adoption process of the parliamentary candidates commenced, President Rupiah Banda assured the MMD of letting the lower organs and constituents' wishes. The announcement sent waves of joy in the MMD members.
Tuesday July 19th at exactly eighteen hours, journalists who rushed to State House when they were called hoped that President Rupiah Banda may dissolve parliament and later cabinet even when they knew that he will only do so after the Election Commission of Zambia (ECZ) announce its final voters register only to be issued with a list of candidates.
After this was made known MMD members mostly from the grassroots were unhappy with the final list of aspiring candidates for the ruling party.
One would want to ask whether the number of protests all aimed at expressing displeasure over the manner the list of candidates was compiled will grant the MMD the most needed victory in the upcoming tripartite elections.
Political pundits have predicted a tightly contested 2011 general election.

Zambian woman arrested in Ethiopia

A Zambian woman has been arrested in Addis Ababa Ethiopia for wearing ivory bracelets.

Ruth Mwale aged 46 was arrested at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa this morning on her arrival from Bangkok, Thailand enroute to Zambia.

Ms Mwale becomes a second woman to be arrested in Ethiopia for wearing ivory bracelets. Last week a Zambian female student was arrested and fined 600 US DOLLARS for wearing ivory bracelets.

Zambian Ambassador to Ethiopia Albert Muchanga has expressed concern at the increasing number of Zambian women being arrested in Ethiopia for wearing ivory bracelets.

Mr Muchanga has advised Zambians travelling to Ethiopia not to carry or wear any processed ivory products to avoid being arrested.

He has noted that some Zambians wear ivory bracelets as a symbol of cultural identity but has advised that when travelling to Ethiopia or transiting through to other countries, such products should not be worn or carried on board.

The Ethiopian law against the ivory trafficking carries a five year maximum jail sentence or a fine of $ USD 1,800 (one thousand eight hundred United States dollars).

Mr. Muchanga has reiterated that Zambian nationals travelling to Ethiopia are expected to adhere to this law to avoid being inconvenienced or risk having criminal records.

Zambian elections

Zambian elections
Chris Habeenzu
The ruling MMD on Tuesday July 19th made known the names of the aspiring Members of Parliament from one hundred and forty eight constituencies out of one hundred and fifty. the ruling party deffered Kasama Central and Kantanshi constituencies. The list had a number of new names and most of those that suffered casualties in terms of not being adopted to re-contest their seats were mostly deputy ministers. However one worrying thing is on the number of female aspirants. Only fifteen female candidates were adopted for the upcoming polls.
Eight deputy ministers left out of the list one wonders whether they did not apply or its was the NEC's decision to drop and ignore them. The list release of the list first of all was so suspiciously done. The media was called to state house a few minutes before eighteen hours. All they expected was to hear something strange or news worthy from the republican president only to be given press statements with a page of something drafted by Dr. Francis Chigunta President Rupiah Banda's Special Assistant for Politics over how the selection was done.
With high levels of anticipation from the scribes the issuing out of the press statement though was demoralizing made pressmen mostly from the electronic rushed to go and key in the statment and analyse them as to who was left out and adopted.
The ruling party has made the names of would be law makers known to the electorate it now remains to the opposition to follow suit. Though political parties have been unofficially cmapigning, their supporters are anxiously waiting for them to make known the names of parliamentary aspirants so as to see who will be their representatives in the National Assembly.
With only a few days before the Electoral Commission of Zambvia finishes the final voter's register next will be for President Rupiah Banda to announce the election date and that will be followed by heated campaigns and going by Zambia's political messages more people will have their characters assasinated in all angles.

campaign period

Zambia's Political Campaign
By Chris Habeenzu
According to Zambia's Electoral Code of Conduct, serious campaigns are expected to commence after the presidential announcement of the elections date.
But this has not been the case as political parties campaigns have already gotten heated up with three front runners getting flat out in campaigning.
In Zambia's Political set up the Electoral Commission of Zambia(ECZ) is mandated to conduct and ensure the smooth running of the elections alas this has not happened. It has not happened in that the mandate to ensure that political campaigns are conducted in a sober and peaceful manner.
Meanwhile calls on the Republican President to announce the election date have started coming from from different sectors. This has forced president to responding saying he will only make known the poll date once the ECZ finishes compiling the new voter's register. In Zambia the president is mandated to announce the elections date and within ninety days after the announce elections must be held.
Zambia this year goes to the tripartite elections which has seen a number of politicians positioning themselves all in readiness for the polls.