THE CONSTITUTION OF THE GREEN PARTY OF ZAMBIA – “THE GREENS”

“THE GREENS”

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE GREEN PARTY OF ZAMBIA
“THE GREENS”
Article 1: The Body Constituted
The body constituted is the Green Party of Zambia, also known as “The Greens” and herein referred to as the Party
Article 2: Scope of the Constitution and Bylaws
2(1)
This Constitution and Bylaws in Appendix 1 hereto shall govern the activities of the Party, all persons operating on behalf of the Party, and the rights, responsibilities and duties of its recognized Units, committees and membership
2(2)
The Constitution shall have precedence over the Bylaws, and any Bylaw that is inconsistent with the Constitution shall be null and void to the extent of the inconsistency
2(3)
The Constitution and Bylaws shall have precedence over any other decision of the membership, and any membership decision that is inconsistent with the Constitution or Bylaws shall be null and void to the extent of the inconsistency Article 3: Basis of Unity 3(1) To enhance the effectiveness of the Zambian People in creating a Green Society by providing an evolving socio-economic and political structure that embraces and supports Green Values and a Party that offers itself as a voice of the masses in Zambia and for the broader Global Green Movement worldwide 3(2)
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To elevate and nurture caring and compassionate values among all peoples and all cultures which will provide the basis for sustaining prosperous, just, democratic, peaceful and diverse communities 3(3) To commit members, and encourage everyone in Zambia, to promote enhanced and socially engaged caring and compassionate values through research, dialogue, and exemplary conduct, as well as through increasing awareness of our own capacities to be caring and compassionate for others, ourselves, and above all nature’s rich diversity Article 4: Purpose and Duty 4(1) It is the purpose and duty of the Party and its members to advance the Party’s Platform, Positions, Policies, Values and Basis of Unity, and to contribute to the welfare of Zambia, Zambians and other communities living and sustainably manage natural and other resources in Zambia by: a) Fielding and electing “Green” candidates in presidential, parliamentary, and local government elections b) Debating, forming and enacting “Green” legislation and policies in Parliament and Council By-Laws countrywide as well as participating in, and or democratically forming, the Government of the Republic of Zambia c) Developing and adopting Policies, Positions, and Platforms consistent with Party Values and Basis of Unity d) Advance Policies, Positions, Platforms, Values, and Basis of Unity of the Party, within and outside of electoral periods e) Form and maintain Party structures at national, provincial, district and constituency levels f) Work in solidarity with green parties of other jurisdictions in Africa, and elsewhere in the world
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Article 5: Guiding Principles 5(1) The Policies of the Party are founded upon the Principles of: a) Ecological Wisdom b) Social Justice c) Participatory Democracy d) Non-Violence e) Sustainability f) Respect for Diversity 5(2) The above Principles are hereby proclaimed as Values of the Party and detailed in Appendix 2 attached hereto 5(3) Activities, Policies, and statements made on behalf of the Party must be consistent with the above Principles of the Party Article 6: Accountability 6(1) All Units and individuals within the Party are accountable to: a) The membership in National Pact Forum (NPF) b) The Cabinet when the NPF is not sitting 6(2) Decisions of NPF on business of the Party shall have precedence over decisions of Cabinet and any Cabinet decision that is inconsistent with a decision of NPF shall be null and void to the extent of the inconsistency
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6(3) Filings, and appointments, of the Party required under the Electoral Act of Zambia, or other statute or regulation, including the endorsement of a candidate during an election, are under the direction of NPF or Cabinet as per Articles 6.1 and 6.2 6(4) Unless otherwise specified by this Constitution, the Bylaws, or direction of NPF as the case may be, Cabinet, on behalf of the membership, is responsible for the overall implementation of actions as called for in this Constitution, the Bylaws, or in other decisions of NPF Article 7: Official Standing and Definitions 7(1) The following persons have official standing within the Party under this Constitution and the Bylaws: a) Member: An individual who meets the Party’s membership criteria. b) Leader: A Member elected pursuant to the Electoral Code of the Party 7(2) The following structures have official standing within the Party under this Constitution and the Bylaws: a) Constituency Pact Forum (CPF): A party structure in which all Party Members residing within an electoral constituency, as defined by the Electoral Act of Zambia, have membership and voting rights b) District Pact Forum (DPF): A party structure in which all Party Members residing within a district, as defined by the Local Government Act, through their CPF leaders, have membership and voting rights
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c) Provincial Pact Forum (PPF): A party structure in which all Party Members residing within a province or any territory of Zambia, designated as such by an Act of Parliament, have, through their DPF leaders, have membership and voting rights
d) National Pact Forum (NPF): A party structure in which chairpersons of all CPF, DPF, PPF Structures, including all Cabinet and Members of Parliament, are eligible delegates and have voting rights
e) Cabinet: (i) Those Members of the Party who are participating in or who comprise the government’s cabinet of ministers, selected and appointed in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia and Acts of Parliament; or (ii) An alternative cabinet to the government who shadow and provide critical opposition on policy matters to the government’s position. This Cabinet is selected and appointed in accordance with the Bylaws f) General Assembly: A supreme body of the Party which all CPF, DPF, PPF Structures, including all Cabinet and Members of Parliament, are eligible delegates and have voting rights g) Young Greens: An association of Members of the Party as specified in the Bylaws
h) Community-Based Resource Protection and Development Boards: Legally registered grass-root groups whose core function is to protect natural resources in their respective areas and ensure sustainable exploitation and benefit-sharing
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i) Environment and Natural Resources Fund: A Fund established for receipt and disbursement of revenue from Community-Based Resource Protection and Development Boards and other legitimate sources for sustenance, development and administration of Party structures and benefit of communities in respective localities
j) Any other structure of the Party created by Cabinet, NPF or the General Assembly as may be necessary from time to time 7(3) Unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions apply in this Constitution and the Bylaws: a) Caucus: Those leaders of the Party who are Members of Parliament, Provincial Assemblies, Councils and Women Groups b) Central Party: This term may be used to refer to the NPF. The NPF is hub of the Party in terms of decision-making between General Assemblies
c) Chief Electoral Agent: the position filed by an elected Member to liaise with the Electoral Commission of Zambia on matters pertaining to elections conducted by the Commission pursuant to the Electoral Act
d) Constitutional: Pertaining to either the Party’s Constitution or Bylaws
e) Directive: An NPF motion or resolution that does not meet the definition of Policy or, if adopted, does not result in a change to the Constitution or Bylaws
f) Delegate: A Member of the Party elected to attend CPF, PPF, NPF and General Assembly meetings and conferences on behalf of the respective Party Structure
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g) Functionary: A person duly selected to hold office or perform a function on behalf of the Party
h) Fund: Environment and Natural Resources Fund
i) Platform: The Position the Party takes on a wide range of election issues for any given election j) Policy: Motions that, if adopted in a vote open to all members, articulate what the Party would work toward if elected
k) Position: Any statement from the Party that articulates what the Party and Party Members would work toward if elected. A Position may not contradict Policy, Values, or any other membership decision l) Structure: A Unit of the Party including CPF, PPF, NPF or any other Unit created by the General Assembly
m) Youth League President: A representative of the Green Youths in alternative Cabinet who shall be selected in accordance with rules set out in the Constitution or Bylaws, as the case may be Article 8: General Assembly of the Party 8(1) General Assembly shall consist of: a) Two (2) Individual Party Members from each district in good standing, who are eligible delegates to attend and have full voting rights
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b) Leaders from CPF, DPF, PPF and other Party Structures, as prescribed under Article 9, or their proxies in good standing, who are eligible delegates to attend and have full voting rights 8(2) A quorum of the General Assembly shall be more than 1/2 (50%) of Members who are delegates from Party Structures present at a General Assembly who are in good standing, and representing not less than 3/4 (75%) of all provinces that are in existence at the material time 8(3) General Assembly shall be held once every five years 8(4) Sixty (60) days notice to Members is required to call for a General Assembly. 8(5) General Assembly of Members shall be called in accordance with the Bylaws. 8(6) In an event of extra-ordinary circumstances which require a decision of the General Assembly, a Special General Assembly of Members may be called. Article 9: Composition of General Assembly 9(1) Delegates to the General Assembly shall be composed of: a) The Party President b) All members of Party Cabinet c) All Members of Parliament d) Five (5) representatives from each Province representing the Provincial Assemblies e) Two (2) representatives from each District representing the DPF
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f) One (1) Fund representative from each Province g) Three (3) Green Youth representatives from each DPF h) One (1) representative from each Constituency representing the CPF i) Accredited Observers, Members of Press and Invited Guests Article 10: Amendments to the Constitution, Bylaws, and Policy 10(1) Amendments to the Constitution a) Notice of amendments to the Constitution shall be included in the notice of General Assembly at which the amendments shall be considered b) Proposed Amendments shall be submitted by at least thirty (30) DPF delegates from not less than 3/4 (75%) of districts or ten (10) PPF delegates from at least not less than 1/2 (50%) or a petition signed by one hundred (100) individual Members from not less than 3/4 (75%) of districts, who are in good standing, or by a delegated Central Party Unit comprising of at least ten (10) Members in good standing
c) Amendments shall be adopted by Members after not less than 1/2 (50%) of the votes cast by Members in good standing at a General Assembly are in favour of the amendment, and shall only become effective not earlier than sixty (60) days following the General Assembly at which the amendment was passed
d) Notwithstanding any other provision concerning an amendment of the present Constitution, all proposed amendments concerning Article 10, Article 11, or Bylaw 1.2.3 will be adopted if not less than 1/2 (50%) of the votes cast by Members in good standing at the General Assembly at which the proposed amendment is presented are in favour of the proposed amendment; and
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e) After each General Assembly at which this Constitution is amended, the Constitution Committee and any legal advisers must oversee the publication of this Constitution as amended and may, in so doing, and subject to the ratification of the NPF:
(i) Renumber the provisions of this Constitution to accommodate the changes that have been made (ii) Correct cross-references between provisions which are no longer accurate (iii) Correct errors which are purely typographical, insofar as such changes will not change the meaning of any provision (iv) Correct spelling errors (v) Replace gender biased language with gender neutral language (vi) Correct inconsistencies of the Constitution insofar as such changes will not change the meaning of any provision 10(2) Amendments to Bylaws a) Notice of amendments to the Bylaws shall be included in the notice of meeting at which the amendments shall be considered b) Amendments shall be submitted by at least 50 individual Members who are in good standing or by a Unit of the Party represented by at least five Members in good standing c) Amendments shall be adopted by a vote of greater than 1/2 (50%) of the votes cast by Members in good standing at a General Assembly. 10(3) Policy Motions and Amendments a) Policy motions passed at a General Assembly shall become effective upon Members in good standing passing a resolution by a vote of greater than 1/2 (50%) of the votes cast in favour of the proposed motion or amendment
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b) Policy amendments passed at a General Assembly shall become effective upon Members in good standing passing a resolution by a vote of greater than 1/2 (50%) of the votes cast in favour of the proposed motion or amendment. 10(4) Publication of Constitution and Bylaws a) After each General Assembly at which this Constitution or the Bylaws are amended, the FPF shall ensure the publication of the amended Constitution and Bylaws, and at that time may: (i) Renumber the provisions of the Bylaws to accommodate the changes that have been made (ii) Correct cross-references between provisions which are no longer accurate (iii) Correct errors which are purely typographical, insofar as such changes will not change the meaning of any provision (iv) Correct spelling errors (v) Replace gender biased language with gender neutral language (vi) Correct inconsistencies of the Bylaws insofar as such changes will not change the meaning of any provision Article 11: Dissolution, Merger, Alliance or Coalition 11(1) A resolution for Dissolution or Merger of the Party with another party shall be passed at the General Assembly. Any resolution to dissolve the Party or to merge it with another party passed at a General Assembly shall only become effective upon Members in good standing passing an identically worded resolution by a vote of not less than 3/4 (75%) to dissolve or merge the Party was passed. 11(2) A resolution for the Party to form an Alliance or Coalition with another party for the purpose of an election or forming government shall be passed at the NPF. Any
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resolution to enter into any alliance or coalition with another party passed at a NPF shall only become effective upon Members in good standing passing an identically worded resolution by a vote of not less than 3/4 (75%) to enter into or form such alliance or coalition. 11(3) No transfer of the Party’s assets may be commenced or completed until a mail-in ballot is received and Members in good standing pass an identically worded resolution by a vote of not less than 3/4 (75%) to dissolve or merge the Party. Article 12: The Environment and Natural Resources Fund 12(1) The Fund is the sole and exclusive agent for the financial operations of the Party 12(2) The Fund will be responsible for raising fund through Community-Based Resource Protection and Development Boards to support among other things Presidential, Parliamentary, Local Government Elections held under the Electoral Act of Zambia as well as proper functioning of Party 12(3) The Fund shall report its annual audited financial statements to the membership through the Annual General Meeting of the NPF 12(4) At least one functionary of the Fund shall be an elected member of the NPF 12(5) The Fund shall operate within the spirit, terms and constraints of the Party’s Constitution and Bylaws
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12(6) The Bylaws and annual audited financial accounts of the Fund shall be available to all Members of the Party on request
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APPENDIX 1 BYLAWS No.1 of 2013 Bylaw 1: Membership 1(1) Criteria for membership a) Any citizen or permanent resident of Zambia, who is at least fourteen (14) years or older, is eligible for membership in the Party, with full voting rights, provided that the person so applying is not a member of any other political party b) Every Member shall uphold this Constitution and Bylaws c) A Member shall cease to be in good standing upon failure to pay the current annual membership fee or upon other conditions set out by the NPF or in the Bylaws d) A person cannot be a Member of the Party if the person belongs to an organization whose actions are detrimental to the Party e) A person who is at least twelve (12) years of age but less than fourteen (14) years of age may be designated a Youth Member. A member so designated shall not have the right to vote 1(2) Application for Membership a) A person may apply for membership in the Party to the following bodies: (i) National Pact Forum (ii) Provincial Pact Forum (iii) District Pact Forum (iv) Constituency Pact Forum b) Only duly assigned Members of above mentioned Party Structures are authorized to accept membership applications c) The above mentioned bodies have the right to set the amount of their own membership fee
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d) It is the responsibility of the NPF secretariat to maintain a register of Members and to make available in a timely manner to local organizational units or structures, electronic or hard copies of the locally-relevant portions of the register e) The NPF may require a membership fee from each body mandated to receive membership applications to cover the costs of servicing the Member f) The NPF shall ensure Members are notified when their membership fees are due g) It is the responsibility of each body mentioned in Bylaw 1(2)(a) above to maintain an active email account for the purpose of communicating membership issues and other Party business h) Applicants for membership and renewing Members shall pay the membership fee directly to the Party and not indirectly through an intermediary person. 1(3) Resignation and Removal of Member a) A person shall cease to be a Member of the Party: (i) By delivering her/his resignation through mail or delivering it to an address of the Party (ii) On her/his death (iii) On being expelled (iv) On having been a Member not in good standing for 12 consecutive months (v) On stating that they are working to form a new political party, or are working for another existing political party to the detriment of the Party b) A Member may be expelled by a resolution of the NPF or a General Assembly of Members c) The person who is subject to the proposed expulsion shall be given an opportunity to be heard at the meeting before the motion is put to a vote
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d) Other than when the membership is assembled in meeting or assembly, email will be considered the default form of communication between the Central Party and the membership, including but not limited to, election of office bearers, distribution of official notices, and any matter requiring the participation of the general membership e) Members, at the time of application for membership, or at any time thereafter, may exercise the option to choose postal mail or other forms of communication. 1(4) Voting Rights a) A Member’s right to vote on all matters, including all elections, shall commence after s/he has been a Member for at least thirty (30) days b) When a former Member rejoins the Party after having been a Member not in good standing for more than one year, that Member’s right to vote on all matters, including all elections shall commence after s/he has been a Member for at least fourteen (14) days. Bylaw 2: Office Bearers 2(1) Election of Provincial and District Office Bearers a) Provincial and District Chairpersons: (i) Twenty (20) Members of the Party in good standing residing within a province or district of Zambia shall be required to nominate for the position of Provincial Chairperson or the District Chairperson of their respective province or district (ii) All Members of the Party in good standing residing within a province or district of Zambia shall be eligible to vote for Provincial Chairpersons or the District Chairpersons of their respective province or district b) Other Provincial and District Positions:
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(i) Ten (10) Members of the Party in good standing residing within a province or district of Zambia shall be required to nominate for any the position at provincial or district level of their respective province or district (ii) All Members of the Party in good standing residing within a province or district of Zambia shall be eligible to vote for candidates of their choice contesting any other provincial or district position in their respective province or district 2(2) Election of President and Vice President a) Hundred (100) Members of the Party in good standing shall be required to nominate for the position of President and Vice President as running mates b) All Members of the Party in good standing shall be eligible to vote for the position of the President and Vice President c) All Presidents and Vice Presidents shall be elected as running mates to serve a two year term or until their successors are elected, except the President and Vice President who shall serve a term pursuant to Bylaw 2(2)(d) d) Within six months of Presidential and General Election held under the Electoral Act of Zambia, unless the Party President and her/his running mate are elected Republican President and Vice respectively, a Leadership Review, where all Members in good standing may vote, shall be held. The date of the Leadership Review vote will be set by NPF and may coincide with a General Assembly. The Party President’s term and that of the Vice President shall end if Members in good standing do not pass a resolution endorsing the President and Vice President by at least sixty (60%) e) Ballots for elections of the President and Vice President shall have beside the name of each candidate on the ballot, the Province and the District where the candidate resides f) Ballots for election shall be verified at least 3 days prior to election-day.
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2(3) Removal from Office and Removal of Units: a) Any Leader except the President and Vice President may be removed from office for cause, by a 3/4 vote of NPF at a meeting called for that purpose b) The President and Vice President may be removed from office by motion at a General Assembly or Extra-Ordinary General Assembly, following a non-confidence vote supported by 3/4 of NPF at a meeting called for that purpose c) Any Leader must be informed of all allegations in writing and is entitled to 30 days to prepare and present their defence before any motions of non-confidence or removal d) Any Leader who fails to attend three consecutive meetings without apparent cause shall be removed from the Party Structure unless the member provides satisfactory written documentation explaining the absences and is reinstated by a majority vote of Party Structure. If the Leader is removed under these circumstances, the Leader shall be ineligible to run for any position in the next election e) NPF or a General Assembly has the authority to deregister any Unit of the Party for cause 2(4) Vacancy in Party Office: a) NPF has the authority to fill, by appointment, any vacancy, however caused, until the next General Assembly or the term for that position ends, whichever occurs first b) All NPF members shall be notified of a vacancy within seven (7) days c) Notice of the vacancy shall be posted on the Party’s website and on the Party’s general Members electronic mailing list within the same seven (7) day period d) Where the President’s term and that of the Vice President ends or the position of President or Vice President otherwise becomes vacant:
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(i) NPF shall forthwith appoint an interim President or Vice President until a Leadership Contest is held and a new Leader is elected (ii) A Leadership Contest must be held within six months of the appointment of an interim Leader 2(5) Assignment of Member to a province or district for voting purposes: a) The assignment of a member to a province shall be based on the mailing address on file thirty (30) days prior to the Election Day b) The assignment of a member to a district shall be based on the mailing address on file fifteen (15) days prior to the Election Day 2(6) Residence of Provincial or District Representatives a) An NPF provincial or district representative’s permanent residence must be in the province or district they represent b) A provincial or district representative ceases to be a member of NPF if the provincial or district of the representative’s permanent residency changes to another province or district 2(7) Meetings of NPF a) NPF shall meet at least four (4) times per year, the fourth being the Annual General Meeting b) Quorum at NPF meetings shall be a majority of voting members then in office, and if quorum drops below fifty (50%) voting members, an Extra-Ordinary General Assembly shall occur within six months c) NPF may meet by electronic means d) All decisions of NPF shall be by a majority of vote of those present and voting, except as may be specifically stated elsewhere in the Constitution or Bylaws
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e) All NPF members may vote, except the President who may vote to break a tie, and representatives of the Fund who shall have a voice, but no vote f) NPF may adopt procedural rules for conducting NPF meetings, not inconsistent with the Constitution and Bylaws g) NPF may create non-voting NPF positions that do not factor in the quorum calculation of NPF. All NPF positions such created may be removed by NPF itself h) NPF meetings shall be scheduled by NPF Secretariat, or may be called by the President, or may be called by any group of Members constituting 1/3 of the membership of NPF i) NPF may make decisions between normal meetings by email and other electronic means, and the results of any such votes shall be read into the minutes of the subsequent meeting and in accordance with procedures set in the Bylaws 2(8) NPF Committees a) The NPF may establish portfolio committees as required. The mandate of such committees may be established by NPF and any such committee shall report to NPF b) The NPF may establish other committees as required. The mandate of such committees may be established by NPF and any such committee shall report to NPF 2(9) Motions at Meetings: a) Members shall be notified at least thirty (30) days in advance of any deadline to submit motions for consideration at meetings of Members b) Private Member Motions shall be submitted by at least five (5) Party Members in good standing or a Unit representing at least twenty (20) Members
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c) Motions that are not submitted in advance and are moved from the floor of the meeting shall only be considered if they are of an emergency nature and shall require a 2/3 vote to be considered by the meeting d) Motions, including rationale and background information, submitted in advance, must be made available to Members of the Party who are eligible to vote at the Meeting sixty (60) days in advance of the start of Meeting e) In accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the Party, the text of motions, including amendments to the Constitution or Bylaws, may be changed at a General Assembly providing the original intent of the motion or amendment, as received by the Members with the notification of the General Assembly, is maintained 2(10) Voting at General Assembly: a) Votes cast by post or electronic mail, or by telephone fax, shall be by a process where the authenticity of the vote can be verified. NPF shall provide guidelines on postal or electronic mail, or telephone fax voting Bylaw 3: Selection of Candidates for Member of Parliament 3(1) Candidates shall be selected by the Party as follows: a) Where the Party has a District Electoral College, the electoral district shall select the candidate in accordance with the Committee’s Bylaws b) Where no District Electoral College exists, candidates will be selected in accordance with a process determined by NPF or by Bylaw c) Where there are no Party Members in an electoral district, selection of a candidate shall be by a General Assembly, NPF, a committee established by a General Assembly or NPF, or by a procedure mandated by a General Assembly or NPF
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3(2) The General Assembly or NPF will provide rules for the selection of candidates for Member of Parliament Bylaw 4: Cabinet 4(1) Appointment of Cabinet The President shall appoint members to Cabinet or Shadow Cabinet, as the case may be, from among members of the Caucus or other members of the Party save for Members of Parliament 4(2) Replacement of Cabinet The President may replace members of the Cabinet or Shadow Cabinet as she or he sees fit 4(3) Appointment of Secretaries The President may appoint Secretaries for each Cabinet Portfolio 4(4) Responsibilities of Shadow Cabinet The Shadow Cabinet shall be responsible for the following: a) Create the election platform in keeping with membership-approved policies b) Ensure members of the Party have the ability to influence the policies and platform of the Party c) Establish written procedures for a grassroots policy development process and publishing these procedures in print media and on the public website of the Party
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d) Maintain an up to date compilation of the Party policies on the website of the Party Bylaw 5: Ombudspersons and Appeals Committee 5(1) Selection of Ombudspersons and Appeals Committee The Ombudspersons and Appeals Committee shall be selected at a General Assembly of Members, and such selection shall have due regard and respect for gender parity and regional sensitivity 5(2) Filling of Vacancies The Ombudspersons and Appeals Committee may fill its vacancies between General Assemblies of Members 5(3) Gender Parity The Ombudspersons and Appeals Committee shall be chaired by two co-Chairs, one female and one male, that are selected by the committee 5(4) Responsibility at General Assembly The Ombudspersons and Appeals Committee is a committee of the Party membership, responsible to the membership at General Assembly 5(5) Functions The Ombudspersons and Appeals Committee shall:
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a) Receive complaints from Members of the Party regarding decisions made by organized Units or Functionaries of the Party which affect their rights as members, or concerns regarding Party governance b) Decide whether or not to accept and deal with each complaint, and inform the complainant of the decision c) For accepted cases, issue reports with the committee’s recommendations to all the parties involved d) Inform NPF regularly of its activities e) Maintain guidelines for conduct and operation of the Ombudspersons and Appeals Committee Bylaw 6: District Electoral Colleges 6(1) The District Electoral College is the primary grassroots Unit of the Party through which Members exercise their rights. 6(2) The NPF may grant recognition to one District Electoral College per electoral district, and: a) Such recognition may be revoked subject to rules set out in the Bylaws b) District Electoral Colleges shall comply with such requirements as to their governance, financial management and reporting, as may be implemented by NPF or by Bylaw 6(3) District Electoral College procedures and requirements: a) All officers of a District Electoral College must be members in good standing of the Party b) District Electoral Colleges must provide to the Party the names and contact information for the college’s Chief Executive Officer and Finance Officer within 7 days of any change
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c) Funds held by a District Electoral College that is deregistered are transferred to the Party and the Party will return the assets to the next duly elected board of the college whose recognition by the Electoral Commission of Zambia has been renewed d) If a college ceases to exist for a period of three years the assets become the property of the Party e) A District Electoral College must file with NPF a copy of its current Bylaws as certified by the college Chief Executive Officer f) District Electoral Colleges must: (i) Hold annual general meetings and that they must occur at least every 15 months, except that the Party may grant an exception in the event an Electoral Commission of Zambia election is called, and; (ii) General meeting minutes of the District Electoral College must be provided to the NPF promptly g) District Electoral Colleges must provide such financial information to the Party as NPF may require h) District Electoral Colleges will adopt basic bylaws provided by the Party i) Upon approval by the Party the bylaws may be amended by the District Electoral College to adapt to the local situation j) The Party may deregister a District Electoral College if: (i) The college’s bylaws are inconsistent with the Party’s constitution and the college disregard the NPF directive to amend the bylaws. Any bylaw shall be null and void to the extent of the inconsistency with the Party’s constitution (ii) The college does not share the purposes of the Party and does not govern itself in accordance with its bylaws and the constitution of the Party (iii) The college has not filed with NPF a copy of its current bylaws certified by the college’s Chief Executive Officer (iv) The college does not meet statutory requirements
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Bylaw 6: Gender Caucus 6(1) The Key Goal The goal of the Gender Caucus is to encourage equal participation of women and men within the Party, to represent and promote the interests of women within the Party and to encourage the active participation of women at all levels of the Party 6(2) Every member of the Party who is a woman and who meets any additional membership requirements (such as a membership fee) established in accordance with the Constitution of the Gender Caucus is entitled to become a member of the Caucus 6(3) The Gender Caucus is responsible to establish, where possible, in each electoral district, a women’s club 6(4) President to Report on Equal Participation The President of the Party, in consultation with the Gender Caucus, is responsible to report bi-annually to the NPF an assessment of the extent to which equal participation of women and men at all levels of the Party has been achieved Bylaw 7: Party Documents 7(1) Maintaining Party Documents The NPF shall maintain for viewing by all Members the following Party documents: a) The Constitution and Bylaws b) The Rules of Procedure
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c) Adopted Policy d) Election Platform e) All minutes of previous NPF meetings and General Assemblies f) All previous directives 7(2) Right of Members to Documents Documents in Bylaw 7(1) above shall be forwarded by mail to Members at cost on request Bylaw 8: Financial Procedures 8(1) Agency to manage books of accounts: In strict compliance with statutory requirements, NPF or a General Assembly may: a) Appoint a person to be a registered agent of the Party, to issue tax receipts and maintain books for any recognized Unit, and; b) Revoke the agency and dismiss the registered agent from office 8(2) Fundraising: Units may conduct legal fundraising activities in accordance with guidelines prescribed by the Fund 8(3) Borrowing: Only a General Assembly or NPF may authorize borrowing by the Party or any Unit thereof, on behalf of the Party
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8(4) Revenue Sharing: Revenue sharing payments from the Fund to any Unit of the Party may be forfeited for the current quarter and any following quarters until the Unit becomes compliant if: a) Officers of the Unit are not members in good standing b) The Unit has not filed a copy of its constitution or bylaws with the NPF c) The Unit does not hold an annual general meeting at least every 15 months d) The Unit does not provide for the election of officers at annual general meetings e) The Unit does not provide for full financial disclosure in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles f) The Unit does not provide such financial information to the Party as NPF may require g) The Unit fails to make any of the filings required by, or has not complied fully with other statutory obligations h) The Chief functionary of the Unit fails to respond to any form of communication from the NPF for at least two months i) The Unit does not comply with any other requirements as may be determined by NPF or General Assembly from time to time 8(5) Sovereignty: No Unit has rights to funds raised by another Unit except insofar as NPF or a General Assembly may prescribe to the Fund from time to time
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APPENDIX 2 GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE PARTY 1.0 Ecological Wisdom a) We acknowledge that human beings are part of the natural world and we respect the specific values of all forms of life, including non-human species b) We acknowledge the wisdom of the indigenous peoples of the world, as custodians of the land and its resources c) We acknowledge that human society depends on the ecological resources of the planet, and must ensure the integrity of ecosystems and preserve biodiversity and the resilience of life supporting systems This requires: (i) That we learn to live within the ecological and resource limits of the planet. (ii) That we protect animal and plant life, and life itself that is sustained by the natural elements: earth, water, air and sun (iii) Where knowledge is limited, that we take the path of caution, in order to secure the continued abundance of the resources of the planet for present and future generations 2.0 Social Justice a) We assert that the key to social justice is the equitable distribution of social and natural resources, both locally and globally, to meet basic human needs unconditionally, and to ensure that all citizens have full opportunities for personal and social development b) We declare that there is no social justice without environmental justice, and no environmental justice without social justice This requires: (i) A just organization of the world and a stable world economy which will close the widening gap between rich and poor, both within and between countries;
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balance the flow of resources from South to North; and lift the burden of debt on poor countries which prevents their development. (ii) The eradication of poverty, as an ethical, social, economic, and ecological imperative (iii) The elimination of illiteracy (iv) Anew vision of citizenship built on equal rights for all individuals regardless of gender, race, age, religion, class, ethnic or national origin, disability, wealth or health 3.0 Participatory Democracy We strive for a democracy in which all citizens have the right to express their views, and are able to directly participate in the environmental, economic, social and political decisions which affect their lives; so that power and responsibility are concentrated in local and regional communities, and devolved only where essential to higher tiers of governance This requires: (i) Individual empowerment through access to all the relevant information required for any decision and access to education to enable all to participate (ii) Breaking down inequalities of wealth and power that inhibit participation (iii) Building grassroots institutions that enable decisions to be made directly at the appropriate level by those affected, based on systems which encourage civic vitality, voluntary action and community responsibility (iv) Strong support for giving young people a voice through educating, encouraging and assisting youth involvement in every aspect of political life including their participation in all decision making bodies (v) That all elected representatives are committed to the principles of transparency, truthfulness, and accountability in governance (vi) That all electoral systems are transparent and democratic, and that this is enforced by law (vii) That in all electoral systems, each adult has an equal vote
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(viii) That all electoral systems are based on proportional representation, and all elections are publicly funded with strict limits on, and full transparency of, corporate and private donations (ix) That all citizens have the right to be a member of the political party of their choice within a multi-party system 4.0 Non-violence We declare our commitment to nonviolence and strive for a culture of peace and cooperation between states, inside societies and between individuals, as the basis of global security. We believe that security should not rest mainly on military strength but on cooperation, sound economic and social development, environmental safety, and respect for human rights. This requires: (i) A comprehensive concept of global security, which gives priority to social, economic, ecological, psychological and cultural aspects of conflict, instead of a concept based primarily on military balances of power (ii) A global security system capable of the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts (iii) Removing the causes of war by understanding and respecting other cultures, eradicating racism, promoting freedom and democracy, and ending global poverty (iv) Pursuing general and complete disarmament including international agreements to ensure a complete and definitive ban of nuclear, biological and chemical arms, anti-personnel mines and depleted uranium weapons (v) Strengthening the United Nations (UN) as the global organisation of conflict management and peacekeeping (vi) Pursuing a rigorous code of conduct on arms exports to countries where human rights are being violated 5.0 Sustainability We recognise the limited scope for the material expansion of human society within the biosphere, and the need to maintain biodiversity through sustainable use of
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renewable resources and responsible use of non-renewable resources. We believe that to achieve sustainability, and in order to provide for the needs of present and future generations within the finite resources of the earth, continuing growth in global consumption, population and material inequity must be halted and reversed. We recognise that sustainability will not be possible as long as poverty persists This requires: (i) Ensuring that the rich limit their consumption to allow the poor their fair share of the earth’s resources (ii) Redefining the concept of wealth, to focus on quality of life rather than capacity for over-consumption (iii) Creating a world economy which aims to satisfy the needs of all, not the greed of a few; and enables those presently living to meet their own needs, without jeopardising the ability of future generations to meet theirs (iv) Eliminating the causes of population growth by ensuring economic security, and providing access to basic education and health, for all; giving both men and women greater control over their fertility (v) Redefining the roles and responsibilities of trans-national corporations in order to support the principles of sustainable development (vi) Implementing mechanisms to tax, as well as regulating, speculative financial flows (vii) Ensuring that market prices of goods and services fully incorporate the environmental costs of their production and consumption (viii) Achieving greater resource and energy efficiency and development and use of environmentally sustainable technologies (ix) Encouraging local self-reliance to the greatest practical extent to create worthwhile, satisfying communities (x) Recognising the key role of youth culture and encouraging an ethic of sustainability within that culture 6.0 Respect for Diversity a) We honour cultural, linguistic, ethnic, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity within the context of individual responsibility toward all beings
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b) We defend the right of all persons, without discrimination, to an environment supportive of their dignity, bodily health, and spiritual well-being c) We promote the building of respectful, positive and responsible relationships across lines of division in the spirit of a multi-cultural society This requires: (i) Recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples to the basic means of their survival, both economic and cultural, including rights to land and to self determination; and acknowledgment of their contribution to the common heritage of national and global culture (ii) Recognition of the rights of ethnic minorities to develop their culture, religion and language without discrimination, and to full legal, social and cultural participation in the democratic process (iii) Equality between women and men in all spheres of social, economic, political and cultural life (iv) Significant involvement of youth culture as a valuable contribution to our Green vision, and recognition that young people have distinct needs and modes of expression