The Governance, Elections, Advocacy, Research Services has commended all political parties for conducting peaceful nominations in Bahati, Kafue and Roan ahead of the by-elections.
GEARS Initiative, which monitored the Bahati and Kafue by-election nominations, however noted the continued trend of ferrying outside party supporters and sympathisers to nomination centres and also to districts where by-elections are taking place despite assurances that they would not do so in these by-elections.
Organisation Executive Director McDonald Chipenzi said this act is an obligation of the recent political pronouncements by some political parties that in these sets of by-elections, those parties would not ferry cadres from outside the districts.
Mr. Chipenzi said GEARS Initiative also observed some employees in state institution such as Zesco and Zambia Railways in Kafue putting on party regalia and openly campaigning for a named political party.
He said the Organisation further noted a thin presence of media personnel in Kafue and Bahati which mostly were dominated by government owned.
Mr. Chipenzi said his Organisation also observed that these by-elections have been dominated by male candidates.
He said there is need for women organisations in collaboration with political parties to up the game on women participation in politics and elections if the 50/50 SADC gender parity is to be achieved.
Mr. Chipenzi expressed hope that the media will take keen interest in these by-elections to help the general citizenry to know what would be happening in these by-election districts.
He has however commended the electoral Commission of Zambia for timely and orderly managing the by-election nominations further commending the police for maintaining peace and order around the nomination centres.
Mr. Chipenzi said it is now time for ECZ to enforce the electoral code of conduct religiously.
Hh is Kambwili and mbwili is hh.
Yaa these elections are boring. No female candidates.
this is not news naimwe ba LT, who doesn’t know that elections held in non Tonga or UPND strong hoods are always as peaceful as a baby. Even McDonald Cimpazee knws that. Even during the MMD tenure it was the same, MPATIZYA, MUFUMBWE etc and during the PF tenure we had CHONGWE, NAMWALA genocide, Sesheke massacre (lightenings and bees).
And the Church doesn’t see this. I feel sorry for the Christian community because our spiritual leaders have become coin lovers and biased.
Now, if there is always peace in PF Strongholds and always violence in UPND Strongholds, that is proof enough who really is *****ically violent.
Unfortunately people of the so called Upnd strong holds have been indoctrinated by their leaders that the Bemba speaking people will eventually take over their province. They give an example of the Copperbelt which has used icibemba and Lusaka which has followed suit.