Electoral Commission Seeks Increase In Constituencies To 235

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has written to Government on the need to amend the current constitution to facilitate the increase in the number of constituencies in the country from 150 to 235.

ECZ Chairperson Irene Mambilima says this has been necessitated by the creation of new districts in the country.

Speaking during a special meeting of the political parties’ liaison Committee on delimitation in Lusaka this morning, Justice Mambilima says challenge to the commission as a result of the creation of the new districts is a situation where a District with one constituency has been demarcated into two.

She names the affected districts as Chirundu, Chembe, Sioma, Nkeyema and Ngabwe which demarcated from Siavonga, Mansa, Shangombo, Kapiri Mposhi and Kaoma Districts.

Justice Mambilima says it is for this reason that going forward that the commission has suggested the increase in the number of constituencies in the affected new Districts so that each of them should have its own constituency.

Meanwhile Justice Mambilima says the Commission is not asking for something out of the ordinary by requesting to be granted more powers to enable a leveled electoral playing field in the country.

Justice Mambilima says the commission holds the position that in order to effectively level the electoral playing field it must be given powers to impose more severe sanctions on erring political parties.

She has cited the Kenyan Electoral Code of Conduct which contains severe sanctions including fining or banning of political parties from taking part in next elections.

Posted by Editor on June 13, 2014. Filed under POLITICS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.