Lusaka, 13 October, 2022 / 9:00 pm (ACI Africa).
Church leaders in Zambia under the Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG) have called on the government of the Southern African nation to include “competence and integrity” among the criteria for identifying candidates to take the helm of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).
President Hakainde Hichilema is expected to appoint two new ECZ Commissioners after the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the entity that oversees elections in Zambia ended their tenure in June.
In a Thursday, October 13 statement, CCMG officials advocate for “transparency and inclusivity” in the process of appointing the two ECZ Commissioners, offer recommendations to enhance the appointment process, and urge the Head of State to “proactively adopt” these recommendations.
The leaders representing various churches in Zambia recommend that prior to the appointment of those to head ECZ, there needs for “short-listing and selection criteria that values independence and non-partisanship, competence and integrity, with these criteria provided to stakeholders and the public.”
President Hichilema-led government should openly advertise for the post of the two ECZ Commissioners “to encourage diverse candidates and the provision for the public to nominate candidates,” CCMG officials add.
