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Civil society welcomes presidential debates

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Citizens Forum Executive Secretary Simon Kabanda

The civil society has welcomed the holding of live presidential debates ahead of the 20thSeptember elections next week.

Citizens Forum executive secretary Simon Kabanda says presidential debates have for a long time been a demand from citizens.

In an interview with QFM, Mr. Kabanda says such platforms will also enhance the country’s democracy as it will bring together top leaders of various political parties to discuss real issues instead of attacking each other in the media.

He says he expectant that the debates will act as a platform where all questions that citizens have had for the leaders will be answered.

The British Broadcasting Cooperation (BBC) world Service has partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Muvi Television to conduct live presidential debates starting this evening and tomorrow, 13th September, 2011, at the Mulungushi international conference centre.

Parties expected to participate in this evening’s debate include the Patriotic Front (PF), the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD), the Alliance for Democracy and Development (FDD), the Heritage Party and the Zambians for Empowerment and Development (ZED).

The ruling Movement for Multi-party Democracy, the United Party for National Development UPND, the National Restoration Party (NAREP), the United National Independence Party (UNIP ) and the National Movement for Progress (NMP) will feature in tomorrow’s debate.

QFM

14 COMMENTS

  1. watchout for milupi !!!! he will take the day. sata should be told to behave like one seeking the presidency. he should not try to hijack the debate into his press conference or cause disorder, we want to listen from voices of reason like of mr milupi. ZNBC should link up with Movi TV to transmit the debate on their wide coverage channel.

  2. why concetrate on attacking Banda why they are given un opportunity to sale their part manifestos. zambians expect all participating presidential candidate expecially those in the opposition to give clear autonative policies and development plan from the mmd if they are to be taken serious and attract votes to make that party to form govt. iam sorry this can turn to be a trap to the opposition especially pf whose president was not involved in the drawing up of the new pf manifesto. if the participant wants to use the the fora to only attack RB they will be shocked because the moderators will be from BBC and we are all aware that BBC is not intersted in personal and trivio issues. bamo amate yala uma mu kanwa expecially those who survive on name calling.

  3. any sembrance with some other species. nabafwala na red kwati tatwebeshiba ati ni ba pf chalasebana ichishikulu chenu pafibokolo

  4. This dedate is long overdue, its just sad that it took BBC and UNDP to intervene in our electral process and come up with this debate which could have been organised along time ago by our own political parties in partnership with civil society organisations if only there was consensus building in Zambian politics for the sake of development. Anyway thumbs MUVI TV. And what time is a debate?

  5. Ponyo ponyo you should watch on your language. Why should yu use such a language, anyway your name tells it all.
    Lady Gaga for a first tym am supporting you, the real debate should have been RB HH and Sata together, not these obvious failures in the likes of Miyanda, Nawakwi and some part that have never even seen a campaign poster

  6. We have been taught the importance philosophy and the power of ideologies…..Parties that can move a country forward believe in ideologies or ideas. Notwithstanding the fact that Zambia is a democracy, our people deserve better and MUST only be guided into a successful future on ideology- Either one believes in money -capitalism, to drive the country forward or one believes in humanity-Socialist/communism or a mixture of capitalism&socialism/communism or better still a combination of ” Humanism, Socialism and communism”. So, utmost Zambia should only have 4 political parties with 4 different ideologies to compete for presidential elections and NOT  the 17 we are witnessing in 2011…..this will just spoil votes and later create APATHY  in our people and a destruction of our democracy

  7.  I like this.. ZAMBIA IS MOVING FORWARD.. debates.. accountability.. in 5 years we will be a different nation.. step by step a nation travels far.. right now i feel like a father watching his child take his first steps.. knowing that that he will take more steps into the future. 

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