Letter

NARC and the so-called New Deal MMD government in Zambia seem to be birds of a feather! (Pambazuka News 129: Issues in Democracy and Human Rights in Kenya) Zambia is still plagued with electoral malpractices and wanton violations of the Republican constitution. MMD causes parliamentary by-elections galore by wooing opposition MPs to defect to it. These by-elections are damn expensive. MMD dishes out money and other gifts in the affected constituencies to win the elections and they do. Also the buying of dubious Voters Cards including of the dead registered voters is rife. Fake voters are moved from other areas to guarantee votes. The litany of illegal manoeuvres is endless. Yet MMD as a party is known not to earn any money from any economic activity. The money must be plundered from the exchequer. And this is supposed to be a government of laws!

This government has an unconstitutionally appointed Vice President. The people were played a number. Shortly after he was appointed, a politician sued contesting the constitutionality of his nomination to the National Assembly and appointment as VP. The opposition in parliament moved a motion to impeach the President for unconstitutional acts. The VPs appointment was not debated because the matter was sub-judice. By and by a deal was struck whereby the seemingly vigilant lady MP was made to eat humble pie and withdraw her suit. Now the VP is sitting pretty without challenge to his unconstitutional holding of office.