Mutoko South MP Backs Bill Says Youth Bear the Brunt of Election Campaigns

Mutoko South Member of Parliament, Isaac Tasikani has thrown his weight behind the proposed Bill arguing that young people who are often at the forefront of election campaigns understand the challenges associated with the electoral process and therefore support the proposed changes.

Speaking during debate in Parliament, Tasikani said there was strong support for the Bill among legislators with only a handful opposing it.

He expressed support for the election of the President through Parliament saying elected representatives already carry the mandate of the people they serve.

“We have a lot to say in support of this Bill. I am supporting the election of the President in this House. We are the youths; we are the only ones who can tell the story of what we go through during elections because during elections, the youths are the ones who do the campaigns,” he said.

The legislator argued that young people often shoulder much of the work during election periods and therefore have firsthand experience of the pressures and challenges that come with the electoral process.

Tasikani said Members of Parliament and councillors having been elected by the people are entrusted with the responsibility to make decisions on behalf of their constituents.

“We have seen it fit that we should support this Bill; only a few in this House are against the Bill. Now it is each man for himself, as an MP, as a councillor. Since we have been given the mandate by the people we represent, we can vote for the President in this House,” he said.

His remarks came as Parliament continued deliberations on the Bill which has sparked debate among lawmakers and the public over its implications for the country’s electoral system.