AFRICA/ZAMBIA - "Valuable money is wasted due to the high number of by-elections" denounces Caritas

Lusaka (Agenzia Fides) - "The growing number of MPs resigning before the end of their mandate has caused government to spend colossal amounts of money for anticipated elections at the expense of the much more urgent social needs" denounces Caritas Zambia in a statement sent to Fides Agency.
"We hear of children dying from malnutrition in our hospitals due to lack of food, we see prices of fuel going up and social are stalling due to lack of finances," the document states." The list of desperate human conditions that government is failing to attend to is growing, with the excuse of limited financial resources." "How can our elected representatives be so heartless as to ignore the pain and anguish they are inflicting on poor people in this country by their selfish actions of resignations and causing by-elections?" Warns Caritas.
"Since the elections in 2011 - the document highlights - we have seen resignations orchestrated by elections in Chongwe, Mufumbwe, Mpongwe, Livingstone and three more are pending in Feira, Zambezi East and Kafulafuta. This is in addition to several other by-elections occasioned by court decisions! It is a scandal management. "
"As we have already done on many other occasions, we appeal to government to stop encouraging MP resignation through promises of jobs and other privileges," the statement said. Caritas Zambia finally invites the diocesan Caritases to refuse to be party to the scandal of by elections by not getting involved in monitoring them, in order not to waste "our limited resources." (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 10/05/2013)