By CATHERINE NYIRENDA –
MORE than K211 million was spent on Parliamentary and local Government by elections from October 2011 to December 2014.
This was against the total of K18 million that was budgeted for, during the same period from 2011 to 2014.
Deputy Minister in the office of the Vice-President Bwalya Chungu told Parliament yesterday that K 211, 549, 317.71 million was spent on Parliamentary and Local Government by elections from 2011 to 2014.
Mr Chungu said Government budgeted for K4 million each in 2014, 2013 and 2011, while in 2012 it budgeted for K6 million for parliamentary and local Government by-elections.
He said this in response to MMD Mkaika Member of Parliament Peter Phiri who wanted to know how much money in total was spent on all parliamentary and local Government by-elections during the period and how much was budgeted for year by year.
In the same question, Mr Phiri wanted to know how many Parliamentary seats were nullified from October 2011 to December 2014 due to corrupt practices during elections and as a result of defections.
He also wanted to know the total number of Local Government by-elections held during the same period.
In his response, Mr Chungu said nine seats were nullified during the same period for corrupt practices during elections while another nine seats were nullified as a result of defections.
In a follow up question, Mr Phiri wanted to find out the measures Government was putting in place to mitigate high numbers of by-elections.
In his response, deputy minister in the office of the Vice-President Stephen Kampyongo said Government was only following the law.
“By-elections are provided for in the law, Government is only following what is provided for in the law,” he said.
Mr Kampyongo also told the House that there was need for the MPs to agree on what should be done to avoid by-elections by taking advantage of the non-contentious issues provided for in the final draft Constitution to be brought to Parliament to be included in the current Constitution.
He said this in response to the question raised by MMD Chembe MP Mwansa Mbulakulima who wanted to find out if the issue on by-elections was one of the clauses that would be brought to the House as non-contentious issues considering the K193 million that was over expenditure in the last four years on by-elections.