British High Commissioner to Zambia James Thornton has called on political parties that are participating in the forthcoming presidential election to adhere to the electoral code of conduct.
Mr. Thornton said Zambia has a growing reputation in Africa and beyond as a democratic country hence the need for the country to build on that reputation when its citizens vote on January 20, 2015.
He commended political leaders for moving quickly in condemning the violent acts and also praised the police for swiftly dealing with the matter.
He further stated that candidates should be free to go round the country to campaign without intimidation from their political rivals.
This is contained in the report released by the British High Commission in Lusaka yesterday and monitored by ZANIS.
Mr. Thornton also encouraged the media to give equal coverage to all candidates and scrutinize the messages of the candidates so as to provide greater clarity to voters as to what they stand for.
Meanwhile, United State Ambassador to Zambia Eric Schultz said US Embassy representatives would join thousands of domestic monitors across the 10 provinces in observing the election.
Mr. Schultz said all parties should be able to peacefully campaign in all parts of the country without intimidation from any party.
US – Britain, we dont want colonial mentality of instructing us how to conduct our own affairs. We know what we doing.
The elections will be free and fair only if the UPND stops provoking PF into beating them up.
@honda! AND they DO need a good beating for interfering with PF campaigns!
PF MISCREANTS BE WARNED.
PF minions be warned, that UPND and indeed Zambia has had enough of your silly violent acts.
Any attempt by PF to commit violent acts against UPND or any Zambian will be met with twice the force.
So please try to control your PF miscreants not force UPND to hit back because its gonna be ugly and indeed very ugly.
UPND has tried hard to follow the law by reporting all acts of violence to the police but it seems they are not punishing PF miscreants enough to control their appetite for violence.
Just know that any violent act will be not tolerated from now on.
Mwajila ba chimbwi imwe moona monga UPND is weak.
Mwanya ni bwela ku Zed next week to take charge.
We will take pictures of all violent PF acdres using stealth button cameras for…
Why should they stay away when its their money you PF miscreants are using to run the country.
Only a daft miscreant would entertain that rubbish thought.
THE MOMENT A SMALL GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS USE FEAR AND VIOLENCE AGAINST OUR FELLOW BROTHERS AND SISTERS IS THE MOMENT WE MUST BE COURAGEOUS AND TAKE A PEACEFUL STAND FOR THE VALUES OF DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH THAT ALL ZAMBIANS SHARE
HAKAINDE HICHILEMA,
Behaving colonial elicits bwana behavior
But you need their money.! What kind of reasoning is that?
PanAfricanist, ur a disgrace! U mean yo head colliding with a plank is knowing what u are doing? My frend, UK and US have civilized campaigns. Not this nonsense of young HH causing acrimony in the west and blame it on PF
@Other side
You have a fabled image of UK and US politics. Certainly they are advanced to ours but only on the surface.
In UK, many attempts by unscrupulous people have steal other peoples voting cards and vote. Happened liars times especially in Tower Hamlets.
When the far right campaign there are usually clashes with groups and citizens opposed to them.
Dirty political games abound. Newspapers publish salacious revelations of MP activities especially during this time, mostly notified them by opposition parties.
The issue here is whether it’s a good idea for missions in Zambia to get too close to our democratic institutions. I think Thornton does push their interests too much in Zambia. Other missions are silent and observant, which is the issue being raised by…
Ati civilised mwalishalila sanaDavid Cameroon just refused a television debate. Viva EL
Flight HH666 just vanished.
Welcome as these comments are, it still is a little patronising. Also Diplomat missions should try to stay out of local politics.
I think Thornton has set himself as a local politician in Zambia!
Not when it’s their money you are using to elect a new president. You can’t have your cake and eat it too!
Dear UK & US,
Can we borrow your secret agents and SWAT team please? We have miscreants armed with pangas (that’s machete to you) masquerading as a political party. Those rookies you have that are underperforming in SWAT school can use this as a field experience.
I know you can’t believe it. Just send us 3. We promise to give them a safari holiday they’ll never forget, once we’ve returned to the peaeful, social-loving country that we are.
Never again should you invite by comedy or thought foreign forces to patrol this land that Jesus walked on. We are independent and free. If you are not wake up and smell the fresh air.
speak to boko Haram’s pal. That’s Lungu & RB, in case you were too busy looking for Jesus’s footprints in your back garden and missed this fact. Sha!
The other time EL was invited by US ambassador for a ‘chat’ regarding the electoral process, especially that he is a candidate from the governing party. His supporters went gaga… gaga!!! because they believed that, that was a recognition.
Now they counsel against electoral violence,and for freedom of speech and movement, and they become colonialists. Come off it! You asked for their money from their tax payers and so they naturally have a stake, and they won’t definitely allow it to go down the drain via panga and plank wielding thugs of shiwangandu.
So you other side you are more just than what people are seeing on the ground? You are not Godly fearing!!!! If you were you would try by or means to be honest, truthful in your contributions!! let your conscience judge you, if it doesn’t and you don’t feel guilty then your conscience is dead dear!!!