The Anti Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) has commended different stakeholders in the way they are handling campaigns in Kasama Central in the build up to the October 15 by-elections.
AVAP Executive Director Bonny Tembo told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the build up to the by-elections have so far been excellent and no party has been found wanting.
Meanwhile Mr Tembo said AVAP will this week open an election complaints desk in the constituency were political parties will be reporting all alleged cases of malpractice ahead of the by-election.
He said AVAP will work hand in hand with the District Complaints Management Committee of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to deal with all cases of malpractice and ensure that the elections are transparent.
Mr Tembo said that his organization has also dispatched observers in all the eight wards of the district to monitor campaign activities, and do voter sensitization in the constituency.
He has meanwhile said the ECZ has conducted itself in a professional manner by engaging all political parties, and monitors, in pre-election briefing and explaining the electoral code of conduct.
Mr Tembo said this has built confidence in the electorates and other monitors adding that he is hopeful of a clean, transparent and peaceful bye election this time around.
He has also commended political parties and their candidates for the peaceful way they conducted themselves during the filing in of nominations last week.
Mr Tembo said unlike in Chitambo were they were reports of violence during the nomination day, the Kasama nomination was peaceful and no reports of violence or any wrongs were recorded.
He has further appealed to political parties to engage in clean and issue based campaigns and avoid name calling.
He said no political party should be allowed to import cadres from Copperbelt, or Lusaka adding that they are a major source of violence in most by-elections.
Mr Tembo has also commended the Police for maintaining order but urged them to mobilize more police officers to Kasama in order to deal with any case of violence that may arise.
The Kasama Central seat fell vacant after the resignation of area Member of Parliament (MP) Dr. Savior Chishimba from the Patriotic Front (PF) who has since formed his party, the United Progressive Party (UPP).
The six candidates who filed in their nomination last week include Burton Mugala of the MMD, Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba of PF and Alexander Chansa of UNIP while APC has filed in Maggie Ng’ona.
Others are Christine Ntalasha and Amir Mohammed both independent candidates.
The ECZ has set Thursday 15 October as the date for the Kasama Central parliamentary by election.
ZANIS
Ya lets hope the atmosphere continues like this in kasama i.e no use of government vehicles for MMd campaigns,no grading of roads by government two days before election and no free beer on the election day
LT, it is not ‘Christine Ntalasha’. The man is ‘Christy Ntalasha’. And I hear he has chickened out of the race, so we have 5 candidates not 6. Otherwise good work LT.