The Continental Leadership Research Institute (CLRI) says increasing nomination fees by the Electoral Commission of Zambia ECZ is a hindrance to youth and women participation in elective representation.

In a statement issued to the media Mundia Hakoola the Institute’s Director noted that the increase in the nomination fee by the country’s electoral body goes against the call for deliberate affirmative action that would allow youths and women to participate in the Democratic process of the country.

“The proposal to increase nomination fees by Electoral Commission of Zambia will reduce the participation of youths and women to aspire as elected representatives at various levels.

“There should be deliberate affirmative action that allows youth and women to participate in democratic process such as aspiring for public office and various levels. The proposal to increase the fees for nomination will negatively affect the participation of the youth and the women by reducing the number of youth and women who aspire for elective office,” he said.

He explains that the increase will in the fees will only add on the already existing challenges of low representation by women and youths even when the two groups are the majority in the country.

“The increase of the nomination fees is by more than 50% of the previous and one wonders where the logic is in increasing theses fees by more than 50%. Statistics already show that there only 17% women parliament and only 3 elected youth out of the 156, these numbers are already a source of concern to the women and youth and the proposed increase will reduce their participation further. Youth and women are the majority in Zambia and there is need for their interest to be well represented at decision making forums such as national assembly so that legislation that favors their interest is tabled and well protected.

“The proposed fees will also reduce the quality of candidates to participate as many might not be able to afford the fees making therefore comprising the quality of candidates that we will have in parliament and various decision making organs, already we have some Members of Parliament whose level of participation in the house is very poor and doesn’t inspire any confidence to our generation and challenges that we face as young people,” he said.

He has since proposed to ECZ to find ways of ensuring effective participation of women and the youth in elections.

“ECZ should instead find ways of ensuring that youth and women participate in elections through affirmative action that will level the playing field and the proposal to increase nomination fees doesn’t address that it in fact makes the situation worse.
Our call is for ECZ to drop the proposal of increasing the nomination fees and consider ways of ensuring that youth and women participate in electoral cycle effectively without the limitation of high nomination fees,” he said.