The opposition Forum for Democracy and Development FDD has written to Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) Director General complaining about the biased manner in which ZNBC has been covering their candidate in the forthcoming elections.
FDD National Secretary Nathan Mulonga says yesterday party President Edith Nawakwi successfully filed in her nomination papers as the party’s presidential candidate in the forth coming elections but that the national broadcaster deliberately blacked out the supporters who showed up in multitudes for the nominations so as to portray the President as a leader without a following.
Mr. Mulonga reminded the Director General that the institution is run using tax payers money hence should not be used as a propaganda tool for the ruling Patriotic Front PF whom he said the institution giving unregulated coverage.
The National Secretary further said the conduct of the national broadcaster is against both the electoral code of conduct and the professional ethics of Journalism.
He explained that in a democracy people have the right to information therefore ZNBC being a public broadcaster should cover all political parties equally.
This is contained in a latter addressed to ZNBC Director General by FDD National Secretary Nathan Mulonga.
ZNBC has never and will never learn. anyway, its not about the people but the system in most Zambian institutions. this is what we need to address as a society. when wrong things are repeated over and over, they become normalised in perception. if you ask the people at ZNBC whether they are happy with what they are seen to be doing, you will get answer along these lines “nomba kuti wacita shani nga bakupela fye ati kabelenge?” the people in these media houses have to toe the line of the bosses or else you lose your job. when PF came into power they changed ZNBC but quickly they regressed to their old self and thuis is what we are seeing today. you need political will to change people to start operating normally. actually most of them think masetting when you tell them to act…
Madam, they don’t cover small parties, anywhere in the world. Looking at America one would think there are just two parties, when in the actual sense there are quite a number of small parties there too. So, I can understand ZNBC’s decision to prioritize resources by covering the big two UPND and PF, first.
@SipinyaNdongo could you name at least 2 names! America is a full fledged democracy with or without political parties! I can understand if you gave China as your example! However, it would be good to encourage budding political parties to help build democracy!
FDD president Nawakwi doesn’t spare PF in her campaigns so i guess they are trying to frustrate her.
Nawakwi you should hammer PF again in your campaigns to teach them a lesson for not showing your supporters.
Viva#FlightHH2015 & 2016
I have more relatives than EN has supporters in Mongu for sure!!! What is the secret, do they get paid to stand as presidential candidate or what?