Zambia not ready for additional constituencies – Chipenzi
By Staff Reporter
GEARS Initiative Executive Director MacDonald Chipenzi says Zambia is not ready to have an increased number of constituencies.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has finished the delimitation exercise across the country that is expected to facilitate an increase in constituencies and wards.
However, Chipenzi said it was stressing to see that many people had tucked their hopes in the process that the just-ended delimitation exercise would bring to life all the proposed constituencies.
“Hype around the just ended Delimitation exercise by politicians and other stakeholders that it will produce new constituencies is surprising and perhaps ignorance associated with the electoral process in Zambia. We want to remind Zambians that this exercise is a routine Constitutional task of the ECZ whose end result is a mere recommendation report to the Executive or submission to the National Assembly,” said Chipenzi.
“We appeal to Zambians who have been telling half-truths to each other over the delimitation exercise to chill down as their hopes may be a dream unfulfilled and appreciate that ECZ has not automatic powers to create new constituencies and wards as such undertaking requires huge investment in finances and infrastructure. The question is” will Zambia be ready financially and infrastructure wise to create more than 100 constituencies at a goal in less than a year to the general elections in view of the economic challenges facing the country?”
