The Anti Voter Apathy Project has called upon political parties not to impose candidates on the people in the Solwezi Central Constituency parliamentary by-election.
AVAP Executive Director Bonnie Tembo says the last two by-elections held in Chitambo and Kasama serve as bitter lessons for political parties that ignore the will of the people.
Mr. Tembo says the adoption process for candidates should be in line with democratic principles that allow party members to have a say in selection process.
Mr. Tembo was speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today.
He said imposing candidates on the people would make it difficult for political parties to sell candidates hence denying themselves victory.
Mr. Tembo said his organisation will conduct voter education in all 5 wards covering 30 polling stations of Solwezi Central Constituency.
Meanwhile, AVAP has called upon the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to create voting streams in big polling stations to speed smooth voting.
Mr. Tembo regrets that the Solwezi Central voter’s register which has 34,633 registered voters of which factors such as death, transfers, relocation and loss of NRC and voters cards have distorted the total number of registered voters.
He has appealed to the Electoral Commission of Zambia to immediately undertake voter registration and put mechanisms to ensure continued updating.
“ECZ from the onset should make it clear whether lost replaced voters cards will be used in Solwezi Central which where a source of problems in Kasama,” he said.
AVAP has also called upon political parties to concentrate on issue based campaigns as opposed to personal attacks.
ZANIS
Won’t the candidates speak for themselves?
Its not the duty of AVAP to dictate to the political parties as to the qualifications of candidates that the parties should field.
AVAP has to stick to its role of educating the electorates or otherwise lose its reputation.
iwe ka bonnie tembo, when did u last have elections mu anti voter apathy nosnense. You have no mandate from the people chap. The new NGO Act nids to move in fast
Those not adopted always claim that the other person has just been imposed on the people- its a no no lose situtiation