Minister of Local Government Stephen Kampyongo has called for patience among political parties ahead of elections on Thursday.

Mr. Kampyongo has called on opposition youths to refrain from activities that might disturb the smooth running of Thursday’s election.

He said leaders of the opposition should manage their supporters who are stopping ECZ trucks randomly on suspicion of carrying pre-marked ballots.

Mr Kampyongo said police should enforce President Edgar Lungu’s instruction to deal with those causing confusion regardless of political affiliation.

And PF Lusaka province chairperson Kennedy Kamba has called on its members to remain calm and peaceful as they prepare to turn up in numbers during voting day.

Mr. Kamba said the PF should wake up early and guard the vote for the party.

He has since called on the PF youth to remain calm and not respond to any kind of provocation from the opposition.

MMD President Dr. Nevers Mumba has challenged President Lungu to clearly explain to the Zambian people, the rationale he used to jump the queue of waiting bereaved families of late President FTJ Chiluba and President Levy Mwanawasa to award Mr. Rupiah Banda K5 billion kwacha for his house otherwise the nation will conclude that it was the ‘wako-ni-wako’ tribalism at play.

Speaking at a rally in Nakonde after a stop in Isoka straight from touring the Copperbelt towns of Chambeshi, Kamuchanga township in the continued whirlwind rallies around the northern block with UPND Vice-President Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba and Bernard Mpundu, Dr. Mumba questioned Mr. Lungu’s morality and reasoning in appeasing his ‘mentor’ Mr. Rupiah Banda with an illegal allocation of K5 billion from taxpayer’s money to build his house in the same week that he has been filmed openly campaigning for the PF in Chipata, in breach of the Zambian Constitution.

Dr. Mumba said the widows and families of the late presidents have yet to be given their allocations of accomodation and yet Mr. Banda has been attended to after ‘crying’ that the queue to get his house was too long causing Mr. Lungu to jump the other families and quickly attend to his tribesman. He further said the law on this matter was very clear and does not provide for a cash payout but GRZ is supposed to hand over a house.

The Benefits of Former President’s Act no. 15 of the Laws of Zambia gives a list of lavish pension benefits which include 80% of the incumbent presidents’s salary per month, 3 cars and 3 drivers, 3 house servants which can be increased by Cabinet if so desired, 2 gardeners, a house build or bought by the state at location of his choice, 1 secretary, 1 car for the surviving spouse, free fuel, free travel abroad etc. However an amendment to this act states that these benefits will be forefeited should the former president in question engage in active politics and goes further to give the definition of ‘active politics’ to mean any activity that could be viewed as furthering or promoting a political party. In Mr. Banda’s case, both the principal and amended act have been violated.

Dr. Mumba wondered how Mr. Lungu, a learned lawyer could blatantly and knowingly flout the Constitution of Zambia ignoring the rule of law in such a reckless manner and allow Mr. Banda selfishly ‘eat with both hands’ using taxpayers’ money in abbrogation of the Constitution which he swore to defend under oath. He said this was a serious and impeachable offence but Zambians should now use their vote to quickly remove Mr. Lungu and the PF from power before they cause further damage to the country. He said Mr. Banda’s immunity will be set aside again after the election and criminal charges will be raised against him to recover all the people’s money he has received received in breach of the Act since 2014 when he entered active politics.

He further said the people of Zambia should examine the damage that has been inflicted on the Zambian economy in the 5 years of lawlessness and recklessness of the PF Government; the sky rocketting price of mealie and other commodities, the collapse of the mining sector and agricultural sectors, deterioration of the foreign exchange rate, depletion of foregn reserves and therefore use the ballot box next week to remove them from power.

The EU Election Observation Mission reinforced its team with 56 of short-term observers ahead of election day. The short-term observers arrived on Friday to begin their training in Lusaka before being deployed all over Zambia. The Mission has been in Zambia since 29 June to observe all phases of the electoral process, and now has more than 120 observers in the country.

The 56 short-term observers (STOs) of the European Union Election Observation Mission arrived in Zambia on Friday, 5 August. They join the Mission’s 24 long-term EU observers (LTOs) and its Core Team that has been in the country since 29 June, to reinforce the Mission for election day observation activities.

The short-term observers arrived from all 28 EU member states plus Norway. They will participate in a two day training at the EU EOM headquarters in Lusaka before being deployed to their areas of responsibility on Monday, 8 August. With their arrival, the EU EOM reaches full strength with over 120 observers in Zambia.

On election day, EU observers will follow the voting, counting and tabulation at various polling stations across the country. They will report their observations to the Core Team of the Mission in Lusaka, where the data coming from every corner of Zambia forms part of a comprehensive analysis.

The initial findings of the Mission will be presented to the Zambian people and all electoral stakeholders in a preliminary statement at a press conference two days after elections day. A comprehensive final report, including recommendations for future elections, will be published approximately two months after the end of the electoral process.

On Monday morning, 56 Short-Term Observers (STOs) of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) will be deployed to their areas of responsibility to begin preparations for their observation activities ahead of and on Election Day. The STOs will work in teams of two, and will join the EU Election Observation Mission’s Long-Term Observer teams (LTOs) who have already been in the 10 provinces of Zambia since mid-July.

Following an invitation from the Government of Zambia, the European Union has established a Mission to observe the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Council Elections, as well as the referendum on the Bill of Rights, due on 11 August. The EU EOM serves as a neutral and impartial team of experts and observers. It was invited to Zambia in support of the democratic process by making an independent, comprehensive analysis of all aspects of the elections. At full strength, the mission will comprise more than one hundred international observers.

LUSAKA Province Police Commissioner Nelson Phiri says the command has put various measures in place to ensure a safer, peaceful and secure electoral environment for all citizens in the capital ahead of next Thursday’s general elections.

And Mr Phiri said in order to ensure security at all polling stations, police have deployed officers in all seven zones of Lusaka, catering for all seven constituencies in the province.

He said each zone has been allocated with a substantial number of officers stationed there and will be supervised by senior officers who can easily be contacted in case of an emergency.

Speaking during an electoral stakeholders meeting with political parties , civil society (CSO) and faith-based organizations in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Phiri said over 30 cases of electoral violence have been recorded such as destruction of campaign materials , shooting incidents , malicious damage to both private and public property and physical attacks on innocent citizens and the police.

Mr Phiri said some of the measures the police have put in place ahead of the elections include increased police presence in communities, public awareness campaigns against electoral violence and enhanced collaboration with electoral stakeholders.

Mr Phiri said during the 2011 general elections, the police recorded incidents such as burning of motor vehicles in Kanyama constituency, riotous behaviour in Lilanda compound, harassment of electoral officers and political violence and clashing between political parties.

The commissioner said it was the prime focus of Zambia Police to promote the rule of law, respect for human rights, safeguard lives and property during the electoral process and ensure that sponsors and perpetrators of violence were arrested and face the law.

And civil society organization representative (CSO) Judy Mulenga has commended the police for the preparations and measures that it had put in place ahead of the elections.

Ms Mulenga said the issue of elections was a fundamental civil and political human right.

She said it was important that human rights were promoted to benefit human beings.

Meanwhile, faith-based organizations representative, Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) chairperson Rev Michael Ngondwe, said peace was cardinal to every developing nation.

And Mr Phiri presented footballs to political parties as a way to symbolize peace for them to play ‘‘peaceful football’’.