BY SIKAILE C SIKAILE
PRISONER VOTING IS A SECURITY THREAT
The question of Prisoner voting in the midst of Political repression is a potentially explosive security threat fueled by the Electoral Commission of Zambia as surrogates of the PF government. Due diligence should have been applied in a constructive and consultative environment before a conclusive point arrived at on whether prisoners should vote or not next year.
It’s quite suspicious to see ECZ and the PF Government allowing prisoners to vote hence denying Zambians in diaspora their rights to vote. I’m very certain that we have a big population of Zambians outside who would wish to vote next year in liberating Zambia. But, a preference has been given to prisoners whose rights are curtailed, and can easily be threatened on who to vote for by the PF government. We know very well that the opposition will not be granted a chance to campaign in these prisons. This is a very dangerous thing ECZ and PF government has embarked on.Zambians and key Political players are not supposed to be pleading for the fulfillment of the Statutory functions bestowed upon the Electoral Commission of Zambia.The silence and seemingly deliberate neglect of known duty can only mean one thing; the ECZ has become a pure rigging machinery of the Patriotic Front (PF). By structural functioning, the ECZ was supposed to seek consensus in the operationalization of the Prisoner Voting reform from the key stakeholders.
This process was supposed to be domesticated factoring in the existing Political environment in Unfortunately, excessive authoritarianism is bulldozing the process. The Electoral Process Act No.35 of 2016 empowers the commission in the following among other state functions;
(1) To make regulations providing for the registration of voters and for the manner of conducting elections.(2) To admister and enforce the Electoral Process Act,and the Electoral Code of conduct.
In view of the extract Statutory functions above, the Electoral Commission of Zambia should have garnered stakeholder consensus in the manner this prisoner voting should have been best conducted.Does the prevailing environment provide for an equitable access to the prisoner constituency for all Political players? What reforms should have been put in place to ensure a level playing field for all the stakeholders. Will other Political players be allowed to campaign freely in the prison facilities?These are the fundamental Questions that should have dominated the stakeholder engagement.
Looking at the selective application of the Public Order Act (POA), and the restrictions imposed on the opposition even to the public Constituency for mobilization, no one maybe allowed to campaign in the prison facilities. If Zambia Police and the PF Government have willingly denied the opposition to campaign freely outside prisons, what guarantee do we have that they will allow the opposition to go in these highly conjested correction facilities without they (PF) through the Police citing security concerns? The most insulting thing is that, ECZ and PF government have failed to register eligible voters outside prisons, but they are rushing to give 100% registration for prisoners. If we Zambians can’t see troubles in this move, then I’m worried.
Would an election that restricts access to voters for some key players be declared free and fair?
For ECZ to proceeded to register the Prisoners unilaterally is a very serious public security concern. The Electoral Commission of Zambia is known for winking at very serious Electoral improprieties committed by the Patriotic Front. Open voter buying, deployment of the DMMU, brutalization and killing of opposition Political opponents, destruction of opposition vehicles and imprisonment of Political players during elections have been ignored despite having the Electoral Code of conduct in place.
The on going Prisoner Voting manuavers is an institutionalized rigging process.The ECZ and the Prisons Commission are stirring the hornets nest.The Zambian people have been taken far too long for granted. Patrick Nshindano and Esau Chulu should understand that the only thing that is constant is Change. The temporarily benefits accruing to them is nothing compared to the destinies of the Zambians they are sacrificing to the devils kingdom. Why should they be so heartless as to ignore the cry of the majority Zambians who have been subjected to this unprecedented suffering? Zambians everywhere are today dying without hope because of ECZ.
Time will flip and the power that truly belongs to the people will soon change hands. Why should they be exiles and fugitives. The choice of siding with the oppressor will soon demand their punishment. Justice will prevail no matter what happens. Power belongs to the people. The people will forever win, this I can rest assure the arragont Chulu, Shindano and Sikazwe.
Sikaile C.Sikaile
Good Governance and Human Rights Activist