ECZ proposals confirmation of partisanship – Mukandila

By GIDEON NYENDWA

PROPOSALS by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to advise political parties on appointing credible secretary generals and to remove the official ballot security mark are an indictment of its neutrality and confirmation of its partisanship, Celestine Mukandila has said.
Mr Mukandila, the Patriotic Front (PF) deputy secretary general for administration says the former ruling party’s submission has opposed plans to codify a requirement that only secretary generals should sign adoption certificates, arguing the measure is an intrusion into internal party affairs.
“Our position and submission has been that codifying a provision requiring secretary generals to be the only ones to sign adoption certificates is derogatory and an intrusion into the internal functions of political parties,” Mr Mukandila said.
He has maintained that political organisations should determine their own leadership structures and processes, noting that even the Registrar of Societies did not regulate internal party decisions.
Mr Mukandila said electoral authorities should only receive official communication from parties because constitutions of political parties were different and appointments could change at any time.
Mr Mukandila also criticised the ECZ’s reasoning for seeking to remove the ballot security mark, describing the suggestion that electoral officers could become fatigued as misplaced.
“It must be an indictment on the Electoral Commission to appoint competent electoral officers, not just thinking of getting cadres that could be tired after three, four or five hours during the voting process,” he said.
He warned that weakening established safeguards would undermine confidence in elections and could favour incumbents.
“Deviating from safeguards to protect the individual vote and the right to vote would advantage the incumbent it is a model of rigging,” Mr Mukandila said.
Mr Mukandila explained that the PF, together with the Citizens First and the Tonse Alliance, had submitted objections against proposed amendments to the Electoral Process Act that would remove the official mark requirement.
He has urged the commission to act in the interest of all citizens and remain within constitutional boundaries