Researcher proposes amendment to end by-elections

By Masauso Mkwayaya

Researcher and Academician CHISELEBWE NG’ANDWE has proposed amendment of the Constitution to allow political parties holding parliamentary seats that become vacant to appoint replacements to eliminate by-elections.

Dr. NG’ANDWE has called for the removal of by-elections from the electoral process because of their high cost.

In a presentation titled ‘The Economic Bottom Line of Constitution Development and Elections in Zambia’ during the Electoral Stakeholders Conference in Lusaka today, Dr. NG’ANDWE argued that by-elections are an expensive undertaking and should not be used to replace vacant political positions.

At the same event, the United Nations Development Programme -UNDP- urged the Electoral Commission of Zambia -ECZ- to leverage social media tools to meet the growing demand for information on -online platforms.

UNDP Deputy Resident Representative LAURENT RUDASINGWA said communication tools and campaign strategies have shifted significantly from traditional to social media.

Meanwhile, ECZ Chief Electoral Officer BROWN KASARO revealed that the Commission has transitioned from manual to biometric voter registration.

At the same event, former Chairperson of the Malawi Electoral Commission CHIFUNDO KACHALE delivered a presentation on enhancing electoral integrity.