Zaloumis must resign, demands Sensio
By Tony Nkhoma
ELECTORAL Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis must resign on moral grounds for abuse of office, former Kasenengwa Patriotic Front (PF) member of Parliament Sensio Banda has said.
In an interview with The Mast, Banda said Zaloumis was exercising her powers beyond the bounds of the law citing the banning of the wearing of PF regalia during the forthcoming Mfuwe parliamentary by-election.
“Banning the use of regalia from allied but non-participating political parties in by-elections has stirred serious legal and constitutional concerns. This directive, lacking a clear legal grounding, appears to overstep the commission’s authority and risks undermining Zambia’s constitutional democracy,” he said.
Banda said the current law on elections only restricted the use of campaign materials at the polling station on polling day.
“Nowhere does the law prohibit the wearing of allied party regalia during the broader campaign period. For any new prohibition to be enforceable, it must be formally enacted through a statutory instrument, not through a unilateral pronouncement,” he said.
Banda said Zaloumis’ directive lacked legal back-up and veers dangerously into illegality.
He said constitutionally, the ECZ’s action undermined Article 21 of the Constitution which guaranteed freedom of association and political expression.
“Political alliances are a recognised feature of democratic systems, and restricting allied regalia during campaigns arbitrarily limits their ability to associate and publicly express their shared platform,” Banda said.
He said it was also clear that opposition alliances were selectively targeted while ruling party alliances were allowed to campaign and mingle as an alliance or pact.
EC has threatened to have arrested anyone wearing PF regalia while campaigning for the NCP candidate who has been sponsored by the Tonse Alliance.
