Operation Young Vote (OYV) has charged that Zambia might as well go to early polls because the Patriotic Front (PF) is already campaigning.
OYV executive director Guess Nyirenda said, “It is unexplainable why the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) is running political/campaign adverts in the media when the next General/Tripartite Elections are not expected anytime sooner. The country is not in a campaign period for the PF to be running adverts on radio and elsewhere about President Edgar Lungu. This should send a message to all stakeholders in the electoral process to begin positioning themselves for an early poll unless the PF is able to explain to the stakeholders and citizens in general why it should run a close to 10 minutes jingle in the media.”
Mr Nyirenda said according to the laws and rules of engagement in the electoral process, such campaign messages are only allowed during the electoral campaign.
“If the PF has started campaigning for its candidate in the 2016 Presidential Election, H.E. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, the Election Day may as well be announced so that the other political parties start doing the same for their candidates if the playing field is to be leveled.”
He said it is undemocratic to want to catch other players including stakeholders such as opposition political parties and civic society organizations in an election in a democratic society whose values include the rule of law and fair play.
“OYV is of the considered conclusion that since the said paid for political adverts by the PF are already running in the media President Lungu should henceforth dissolve Parliament and call for the Tripartite Election so that all stakeholders are on the same footing. The continuous running of the said political advert by the PF is notification that the country is in the campaign period, as outside the campaign period no such political adverts are condoned as stipulated in Section 27 and Section 8 of the Electoral Act and Electoral Code of Conduct respectively.”
And NRCs are being issued only in Pf strongholds. It is not fair.
PF know that they have lost political grounds are panicking. Nothing will save them anyway even if they called for elections today.
Viva pf please continue campaning, its colopa .com in 2016. We want to completely finish upnd this time around. Here in chama we are already in gear 4. Bazachiwona ba upnd!
I guess. (sorry no pun
HH is also campaigning why is visiting the townships which he has never visited in his 50 years plus?
Then HH lies that because he is opposition he is not allowed to buy sugar or salt from the market without a permit!
Congrats to pf for being clever to start campaning early. Us in luapula, we promise to give E.Lungu 100% in 2016 elections. We shall see if hh will win with only southern province.
We shall do everything in our power to insure that pf wins next year. We shall never be lead by h…h.
All political parties are campaigning my friend. 2016 is already here. I am sure you have seen HH campaign, Rain ball Party campaign and MMD doing so, not to mention over ambitious Nawakwi. Every serious party is already in campaign mood. Only Gen Miyanda and Muliokela will wait for 2016. That is called; planning ahead. You do not start to look for mealie meal when your bin is completely empty.
Where is Edgar Lungu?
Liv,luapulaman,saulos.
Its not about hh or Lungu,but what is best for Zambia. You comments can simply be best described as tribal,period. Why would someone vow to finish upnd in luapula? It is simply because its headed by a Tonga. You are the people who are destroying this country with such comments,and you feel you can use your numbers to veto other capable candidates of not your tribe or who doesn’t come from your tribal party.