The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) says political parties and candidates perpetuating violence risk being barred from participating an elections.
ECZ Public Relations Manager Margret Chimanse says the commission it will no longer tolerate violent parties or candidates and individuals from fueling violence in the country.
Ms. Chimanse says the commission will heed to Vice President Inonge Wina’s call for the commission to use powers vested in it and ban candidates that promote political violence.
Mrs. Wina last week said in parliament that the commission should flex its muscles and ban parties that use violence during elections.
Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday, Ms. Chimanse said the Commission will take action on perpetrators of the scourge.
“It’s a positive stance and as ECZ, we will heed to the Veep’s call on responding to violent parties and candidates. The Commission will be on standby and act on perpetrators of violence,” she said.
On the electoral roadmap, the ECZ Public Relations Mamager said the commission has engaged both the ruling PF and the opposition UPND to adhere to the code of conduct and avoid violence at all times.
Ms. Chimanse urged political leaders to prevail over their followers so that peace is maintained as enshrined in the One Zambia, One Nation motto.
Meanwhile, Ms. Chimanse has disclosed that the commission is ready to conduct the Kafue local government election scheduled to take place this week on Wednesday, March 27.
She said all security and non-security election materials had been delivered to Kafue and that all logistics were in place including Poll Staff that underwent theoretical part as well as practical were trained.
She also disclosed that the commission is prepared to hold the Roan and Bahati parliamentary by elections slated for April, 11, 2019.
Ms. Chimanse assured that all Poll Staff would execute their duties professionally.
Boring. Same warnings and positive stances we hear all the time. Yet UPND perpetrators of violence are still walking scot free.
YOU ARE OBSESSED WITH UPND—WHAT ABOUT THE VIOLENT PF SUPPORTERS —- OUR COUNTRY HAS NEVER KNOW VIOLENCE UNTIL IT WAS TAKEN OVER BY THESE HOOLIGANS
@fadeup
Dont you know that mapatizya was coined by the bantustans before pf started participating in national elections.
Yakosa campaign ba PF, only solution is to disqualify the opposition in Kafue and Luanshya.
Yes , prime tv done the country a big service by plastering around the world imeges of violent PF caders in Sesheke …..lungu got so worried of having the label of a violent mugabe wanna be dictator stuck on him , he has ordered Mwila to stop PF violence
The vice Presidents directive is Proof that the ECZ only works for the benefit of its employer and in turn is also responsible for the violence.
Do it with Integrity No exceptions because we know you cannot touch misbehaving PF Cadres.
The possibility of being reported to the ICC has unsettled and scared the PF leadership. All these statements are made in this light. The statements are intended to be presented as evidence of their opposition to violence. The opposition should proceed with their plan to report the 10 to the ICC.
If Zambia was better governed the ECZ should not even entertain such directives from the VP coz it compromises their impartiality, independence & professionalism.
@fedup, you are a liar. UPND is led by someone who believes in Armageddon so it is the one behind all the violence the country is witnessing
PFoools are all violent, this due to the fact that their previous jobs ( Kaponya) they all had to be violent as part of the job description, if you think I am talking rubbish, ask your ministers who are former kaponya`s and are now ministers via this ka violent party of thieves and drunks who pee themselves when drunk on tax payers money.
When are police supposed to arrest political troible makers.? I have never heard that police have arrested that number of people involved in violence. Why are police then deployed? One would only say that happens because PF is involved in scheming the troubles. How did ECL ascend to power? Remember Willy Nsanda … pepetrator of violence and how Guy Scott was dribbled? this is how PF runs this country ..through deciet and crookery. UPND be alert and on the lookout because PF natuarally is a trouble maker party of panga carrying hooligans who will pounce on you once thwey know you have lost your guard..
Looks to us lungu has stolen enough and is finding winning elections through violence is taxing him……he is now trying to show normalcy to help him avoid jail…..
I always wonder with such statements as released by Chimanse. You mean the ECZ did not know that the Act empowers them to do that? Did they need a directive sure? Many good citizens had asked ECZ to do their job to curb violence. ECZ is supposed to and must be independent and their actions must be seen to be so. We must amend the Electoral Act to make ECZ really independent and this is urgent!
Oh no! I fear HH may not stand because of his appetite for violence!
Is this in your mandate? Directives are not Law!
If they disqualify PF candidates, they will be fired. Look at police officers who beat up unruly PF cadres recently. So ECZ will only disqualify opposition candidates. Rubbish for an independent organisation to get instructions from a political cadre like inonge
Does it need the vice president to issue an order to ECZ for them to follow laid down proceedia/
Same old boring threats by ECZ. We know who causes violence and mostly it’s from the sitting Governments. But they can’t because they eat together. ECZ is toothless.
This clearly shows that these institutions are not independent and have to work on directives. Its a sad state of affairs.
This is laughable, it is a well known fact that PF is a violent party, why beat about the bush. What has changed in recent past, is that, people are now willing to fight back in self defence, ( In short, that’s how wars commence, as simple as throwing stones) The VP should first put her house in order before yapping these things. Unfortunately, from these sentiments coming from the VP, I can tell that they have cooked something already. Lungu is saying there should be no violence, however behind the scene, they will unleash cadres on the opponent and then blame the opposition, this is what is going on. Unfortunately, ECZ is part of this game!!!
After VP Directive??? And you say ECZ is an independent body.
“Ms. Chimanse says the commission will heed to Vice President Inonge Wina’s call for the commission to use powers vested in it and ban candidates that promote political violence.” So UPND and PF will be disqualified kikikikikiki.
Agogo is finished mwebantu. I feel pity for her.
Surely, directive or law. Shame. did