Aspiring Patriotic Front (PF) presidential candidate Chishimba Kambwili has advised President Hakainde Hichilema to “LISTEN to the voice of wisdom and reverse the appointments of McDonald Chipenzi and Mwangala Zaloumis as Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) commissioner and chairperson subject to ratification by parliament.”
Mr. Chipenzi and Mrs. Zaloumis should not be confirmed in parliament to lead the ECZ, according to Dr. Kambwili, who claims he has nothing against them despite their demonstrated partisanship.
Instead, Dr. Kambwili has recommended Mr. Hichilema to think about granting them posts in other government departments rather than ECZ since, as things are, their appointments will undermine the Commission’s legitimacy and confidence.
Dr. Kambwili recommended the Head of State during a live Facebook stream on his page not to limit appointments to political cadres, especially when it comes to significant organizations like the ECZ.
“My Brother President Hakainde Hichilema, there are so many people you can appoint as chairpersons for ECZ, but those people should not be Mrs Zaloumis and Mr Chipenzi. I have nothing against both as I regard Mrs Zaloumis as a mother, but she is partisan and has affiliated herself and even Chipenzi, because he cannot divorce himself from the United Party for National Development (UPND).I am also advising Members of Parliament from both UPND and PF, do not ratify these appointments once tabled in parliament,” he said.
The two appointees were full-time partisan members associated with the UPND, so he further advised them not to accept their appointments.
Even though Mrs. Zaloumis was qualified, according to Dr. Kambwili, it would be in her best interests to decline the position along with Mr. Chipenzi.
“If you want Zambia with no tension and want to regard ECZ as fair, do not appoint the two individuals. This country should not be harassed by political cadres in terms of appointments. If any country does not trade carefully on the issue of electoral bodies, the democracy is bound to fail,” he said.
