Misanet / IRIN, 23 March - The Zambian government has rejected a call by opposition parties and civic groups to withdraw a new electoral bill, saying its aim was to make the voting process more accountable and transparent, and not accommodate constitutional issues. The opposition claims the bill gives too wide powers to the President.

Zambian government spokesman Vernon Mwaanga said national authorities would accommodate "progressive views" and was prepared to engage with the concerned parties through the parliamentary process.

The group's main objections to the Electoral Bill are that it empowers the President and not the electoral commission to set the election date, and does not include the requirement that all future presidents be elected with more than 50 percent of the vote. Under current law, the candidate who gets the most votes becomes President.

Earlier in the week, the opposition and faith-based organisations dismissed the proposed legislation, calling it "cosmetic" and "aimed at hoodwinking the Zambian people that the forthcoming elections will be held under a new electoral law."

Spokesman Mwaanga maintained that calls for the inclusion of a 50+1 percent threshold for a winning presidential candidate, among other concerns, were constitutional matters that could not be addressed during the current sitting of parliament. The proposed bill had taken into account recommendations made by the Electoral Reform Technical Committee to ensure that the upcoming polls were free and fair.

The new bill, which is being discussed in parliament this week, provides for the use of transparent ballot boxes, and committees to deal with disputes.

Activists and opposition parties held demonstrations throughout 2005 to demand that the constitution and electoral laws be amended ahead of this year's polls, saying they placed too much power in the hands of the President, and the "first past the post" system allowed the election of a Head of State on the slimmest of margins.

A regularly cited example was President Levy Mwanawasa, who won the 2001 election with around 28 percent of the total vote in a ballot deemed unfair by the Atlanta-based Carter Centre, the European Union (EU) and local poll monitors. No second poll round was needed to secure Mr Mwanawasa's surprise win.

Mr Mwaanga however accused the anti-bill groups of failing to engage with the government about their concerns. "The demonstrations by the civil society and political parties did not help, because when we asked for dialogue on the way forward, they refused. Now that we have agreed to go their way, they are accusing us of trying to hijack their agenda," he alleged.

According to Mr Mwaanga, the constitutional issues would be addressed after the elections. This is however deemed as "too late" by the opposition.

By UN media IRIN

© IRIN / afrol News

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