Political parties have affirmed and pledged to maintain and promote peace during and after the August 12, general elections.
During a press conference for political party presidents held in Lusaka today, various political parties present signed the peace pledge, assuring the public that they will be peaceful, before, during and after the elections.
New Heritage Party president, Chishala Kateka noted that Zambians have a responsibility to maintain peace not only for the benefit of Zambians but also those seeking refuge in the country.
Ms Kateka stated that Zambia has been a peaceful nation which is a place of refuge for various people, who ran away from wars hence the need for everyone to contribute to securing the peace in the country.
“So we can say that Zambia is a nation of refuge and various groups have had a peaceful coexistence. It therefore, it goes without saying that as a nation, we have a very important peace role to play on the continent and beyond,” she said
Patriotic Front Secretary General, Davis Mwila revealed that the PF leadership has directed all party members to carry out issue based elections.
“As a party, we have directed all our party members to conduct issue based campaigns on our achievements, our ideas and policies in our manifesto. We intend to win the elections in a free and fair environment without any political violence,” he said.
And United Party for National Development president, Hakainde Hichilema stated that it is essential to contain the current negative harsh environment.
“We must identify the source of violence and must isolate all those that are being violent,” he said.
Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID), a co-convener of the peace conference expressed optimism that the coming together of political party presidents in the conference, reaffirms a peaceful and violence free election.
ZCID Board Chairperson, Jackson Silavwe said peace can only be maintained when people realize that dialogue and peace is possible amongst people with divergent views.
“We have rights to enjoy and obligations to perform, this is the true manifestation of Ubuntu, a preservation of our founding father’s legacy,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Church Mother Bodies representative, Paul Mususu expressed concern that people have not taken steps to deal with the causes of political violence.
“We should actually seek the root cause of this violence and try to have lasting solutions that will prevent our children from being killed as a result of political violence,” Bishop Mususu said.
Special representative of the Secretary General to the African Union, Hanna Tetteh said Zambia has enjoyed peace since independence saying this must be sustained at all costs.
Ms Tetteh noted that people often do not know how valuable peace is, until they have to deal with the challenges of conflict.
And Common Wealth Secretary General, Patricia Scotland said elections must be regarded as an opportunity, to engage on political debate on issues and not exchanging insults.
Political party leaders that signed the pledge to observe peace include Patriotic Front, United Party for National Development, the Socialist party, Democratic Party, United Nations Independence Party, Peoples Alliance for Change, Zambian United for Sustainable Development among others.
It should’ve been the signing of a fair elections accord.Lungu/PF are campaigning under the disguise of “working visit” while the opposition are restricted .
And what are the consequences if any party’s cadres go on the rampage? Edgar China Lungu will just send his criminal cadres to go out – and he will remain in state house laughing his head off!
Well done for the effort. ECZ now has a clear mandate to suspend any political party in breach of this peace accord. Let them campaign peacefully because we are tired of this malabish campaign style.
Don’t belive any thing coming from lungu and PF …….
In the past weeks their thugs have been on the rampage on the CB removing opposition campaign material and attacking their members, while the police are blocking their leaders from travelling…..
Peace should abide in the heart and like giving and love gestures, it must be abstract.
Peace is not achieved in parades.
May all you hypocrites stop taking Zambian people for granted.
Peace is achieved by doing.
Do (practice) and be peaceful.
Talk peace.
Look peace.
Think peace.
Live peace.
Accept ati alebwelelapo pamupando peacefully.
ECL is the current Republican President, President of PF and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and the PF Military Wing. To show commitment to the Peace Accord ECL should have attended the Ceremony and appended his signature to the Agreement in person. The fact that ECL delegated this Role to PF SG Mwila confirms that he is not committed to the Accord and his PF Cadres, Militias, Commanders and Generals are the main perpetrators of Violence in our land. ECL as incumbent President of Zambia has failed to show leadership in this Peace making Process. He is not committed to holding free,fair and credible Elections. The whole World and the Zambian Nation has taken note of this. The writing is on the wall.
“In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”
Idle industries have cast workers into unemployment, human misery, and personal indignity. Those who do work are denied a fair return for their labor by a tax system which penalizes successful achievement and keeps us from maintaining full productivity.
But great as our tax burden is, it has not kept pace with public spending. For decades we have piled deficit upon deficit, mortgaging our future and our children’s future for the temporary convenience of the present. To continue this long trend is to guarantee tremendous social, cultural, political, and economic upheavals.”-Ronald Reagan
If HH didn’t attend this it would have been making headlines in all social media platforms and would have even been an headline on ZNBC news ati “HH snubs Peace and Non-Violence Accord. But here ECL has not attended but decided to send his SG but no one has made it an issue. So chiwamina galu kuluma mbuzi than mbuzi kuluma galu. kkkkkkk
Useless accord. Does not mean anything. It is not a law and there are no consequences. No binding on anyone.Violence will continue btween PF and upnd
Assumptions are sometimes very dangerous. HH has been snubbing all national events except the burial service of our late former head of state and founding father of our great nation, Dr kenneth David Kaunda. It is not very ingeneous to start speculating for things that are not there and try to make a case out of nothing. HH could have been sending representatives and the media is right to report that Hh sent a representative. There is no need to make an Issue of PFs Secretary general representing the head of state and the party president for that matter. After all the SGs are the CEOs of political parties. All political parties can send their elected reps. The head of state cannot be equated to a mere political party eader. Their responsibilities are very different.
HH has either wrong advisors or he is simply a ” Chumbu munshololwa” loosely translated as the crinkeled sweet potato that cannot be straightened. literal meaning for a person that does not take advice. If the Mongu case was to be opened again and tried properly HH would go behind bars for the rest of his life. As usual he is always driven by his desperation for state house hence always taking unnecerssary chances. Those who worked in the Govt. (GRZ) between the 1970s to late 1990 will tell you of the tribalism that raged in Govt and by which tribe. What the Govts that preceeded the Kaunda were doing was just to correct a dangerrous precedences that existed.
Pf sends cadres to sign peace treat should have been the headline.
Pf sends party cadres to sign a peace treat with other political parties should have been the headline for this article.
These things should be given to cardres like kalimanshi and Seer 1 to sign. Because all of you niggaz am seeing will never fight and everytime you meet in nightclubs to celebrate whatever might have been a good day in terms of numbers of all those ignorant hopeless people who must have gathered to watch you beltch the smells of coke mixed with lasagna and pizza on the stage. All this happens as the 50K+Chibuku motivated dogs of kalimanshi and seer 1 will be nursing bloody wounds in those poorly stocked health facilities.
Mulekwatako noluse.
This guy called HH is he just waking up to realise he’s supposed to attend national events or what???.
Can his advisor kindly tell him the important events are all done not until 24th October please.
Long over due but no it was ‘only under church’ Lelo mwachimba…. Tiyeni
ECL shunned the signing Ceremony of this Peace and Non-Violent Election Pact becoz he is not committed to it. ECL didn’t want to commit himself by Personally signing the Agreement. ECL is Commander in Chief of PF Military/Security Wing. ECL knows that he can’t win a free,fair and credible Elections. Lungu is planning to use PF Cadres,Militias,Commanders and Generals to rig the Election infavour of ECL and PF. With this Pact ECZ should lift the ban on Rallies and Road Shows and allow Political Parties to campaign during the remaining 28 days. ECZ should insist that Political Parties should maintain Covid-19 Guidelines during these Campaigns. We can’t have Credible Elections without Campaigns. The writing is on the wall.
Rubbish. Enforcement of laws and order is a state function under the directionof the President of the Republic of Zambia. Mwanawasa understood this. That’s why under his government everyone knew their place.
I have my own doubts about this pact, I hope I am proved wrong.
Why is LUNGU missing, and how can he delegate to SG such an important act? Had ECL signed this pact, it would have made a big difference.
I don’t see his commitment and to me its a failure in leadership.Period. He is quick and has time to open bridges, but when it comes to matters of national interest, he has no time, for that. Is it his hate for HH, that he did NOT want to meet him face-2-face? This pact is doomed for failure, and if it does, BLAME LUNGU !!! I want to wrong !!
Again, ba LT, this moderation bul.sh..it is ridiculous !!!
I have my own dou.bts about this pact, I hope I am proved wr.ong.
Why is WRUNGU missing, and how can he delegate to S..G such an important act? Had ECL signed this pact, it would have made a big difference.
I don’t see his commitment and to me its a failure in lea.dership.Period. He is quick and has time to open bridges, but when it comes to matters of national interest, he has no time, for that. Is it his hate for HH, that he did NOT want to meet him F-2-F? This pact is duumed for fa.ilure, and if it does, BL..AM.E WRUNGU !!! I want to wrong !!
Did Davies represent the gangs of Bowman and gang of Kalimanshi?
WHAT A LOAD OF RUBBISH WHERE WAS PRESIDENT LUNGU ??
WOULDNT THAT HAVE BEEN MORE APPROPRIATE ??
YOU WANT A SOLUTION ???
YELL PF AND LUNGU MUST FALL
I have my own doubts about this pact, I hope I am proved wrong.
Why is LUNGU missing, and how can he delegate to SG such an important act? Had ECL signed this pact, it would have made a big difference.
I don’t see his commitment and to me its a failure in leadership.Period. He is quick and has time to open bridges, but when it comes to matters of national interest, he has no time, for that. Is it his h..ate for H.H, that he did NOT want to meet him face-2-face? This pact is doomed for failure, and if it does, B..LAME ECL !!! I want to wrong !!
Only Nevers Mumba has got it right here by refusing to sign.
ECL created a Monster when he allowed the establishment of a Security/Military Wing in PF. Now he is failing to control these PF Cadres,Militias, Commanders and Generals. ECL is Commander in Chief of these private armies. To have Peace on the Streets,Townships, Bus Stops, Markets, in Govt Offices etc these PF armies need to be disbanded. Zambians can disband the Violent PF Militias by dismissing the Commander in Chief of these PF thugs. On August 12 Zambians have a Golden Opportunity to use their votes to kick out ECL out of State House and usher into Power HH and UPND Alliance for Peace, Stability and Progress. HH aka Bally will fix it.
Its pointless to sign such a pact knowing that Zambia is a Christian nation and s such its people are supposed to conform to the Bible teaching. All thee pacts being signed is dup the opposition that the once Mighty PF is being sincere and will abide by the pact conditions. By the way did the Great Leader of the once MIGHTY PF there? No instead he sent his SG who acted to the contrary and its available on social media. The problem with the opposition they are divided and not confident. Yes there are pockets of violence here and there and these have not reached to levels that can threaten the peaceful well being of mother Zambia. Big blow No. 1 done to the head of the UPND Alliance. When ECL nd his once Mighty PF apply more force to ban on political campaigns on account increased cases…
HH WAS RIGHT TO SIGN FOR PC HE IS A PEACE LOVING CITIZEN. THOSE WHO PRETEND TO BE PEACEFUL YET PERPETRATORS OF VIOLENCE WE NOT THERE.