Lusaka, May 12, ZANIS—The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has discouraged all political parties and participating candidates in the August 12 elections against holding campaign rallies.
ECZ Director for Electoral Operations Royd Katongo said during a stakeholders meeting in Lusaka today that rallies are part of super spreaders for COVID-19 as they attract huge crowds.
He advised that political parties and candidates should use other available alternative medium of communication and information dissemination.
“Activities such as rallies are super spreaders. We advise all political parties to do away with rallies because they attract huge crowds. They should instead use alternative means such as zoom, TV, radio and public address systems,” he said.
And Mr Katongo has urged media organisations to ensure fair coverage of all political parties and candidates during the period of campaigns.
He said campaigns for the August 12 general elections will commence tomorrow on May13 and will end on August 11, 2021.
The ECZ Director of Electoral Operations further advised political parties and candidates to conduct all their campaign activities with strict observance of the COVID-19 five golden rules and to also include COVID-19 awareness messages in their campaign.
“Stakeholders in the electoral process including political parties must take full responsibility for what will transpire as a result of failure to adhere to the guidelines recommended by the Technical Committee. The Commission, Ministry of Health and respective agencies should not be blamed in case of any eventualities,” Mr. Katongo stated.
And Assistant Director Health Promotions at the Ministry of Health Kalangwa Kalangwa noted that COVID-19 guidelines are still in effect before, during and after elections.
Dr. Kalangwa urged political parties to respect the rule of law as they embark on their campaign trial and further appealed to the media to include COVID- 19 messages as they disseminate political information.
I AGREE NO CAMPAIGNING !!!!!!!!
JUST FOOD PARCELS ALLOWED IN THE NAME OF ENPOWERMENT
AND ONLY ALLOWED BY THE PATRI0TIC F00LS
HERE WHAT PF AND LUNGU DOES IS WHAT ALL SHALL DO
This is only meant for the opposition, not the almighty ECL and his r4venous PiyeF00l who are above all rules 🙁
ECZ is double faced. Recently they conducted By-Elections and Rallies were held so was there no Covid-19 then? ECL and PF Leaders have held Empowerment gatherings. At the PF Secretariat a huge gatherings was organized to welcome CK back to PF . Were all these Gatherings not Superspreaders events to ECZ? ECL has held Rallies under the guise of Working Visits and inspecting Projects. Was ECZ not aware these are Covid-19 Super Spreader events? What is the position of ECZ on Political Rallies during the Campaign Period? ECZ and ZPS should stop weaponising Covid-19 to deny Opposition Parties to Campaign and disseminate their messages to Voters. Political Parties should be allowed to campaign and hold Rallies as long as they are observing Covid 19 Guidelines of masking, social distancing…
Which TV will allow UPND to address the nation? DeadNBC? Impossible! So how do you expect them to campaign? They can only do so through rallies. That is politics. Otherwise cancel the election because it wont be free and fair since Lungu has a stranglehold over national media.
Which TV will allow UPND to address the nation? DeadNBC? Impossible! So how do you expect them to campaign? They can only do so through rallies. That is politics. Otherwise cancel the election because it wont be free and fair since Lungu has a stranglehold over national media. Ati: discouraged all political parties and participating candidates in the August 12 elections against holding campaign rallies.
That is like saying Politicians shouldnt do politics.
Kikikikikiki. Mu zambia muli problem i tell you. Just how many odinary people can even do zoom app sure. Cancel the elections indeed if that is the case because there is no point really in trying to discourage that. Let everyone mask up.
@ Shikulu Tinaiza yours is factual observation for ZNBC will only accord the ruling PF coverage and even if for some strange reason an order is given that other political parties be accorded slots, these would be cancelled in the blink of an eye even a minute before scheduled time to accommodate a PF cadre or an eleventh hour decided PF program! ECZ would still continue saying all parties have equal access opportunity for ZNBC broadcast! This is where the unaccounted K3.00 from every electricity consumer is paid to!