KAWANA URGES POLITICAL PARTIES TO STICK TO ECZ TIME-TABLE
KAWANA URGES POLITICAL PARTIES TO STICK TO ECZ TIME-TABLE
MINISTRY of Information and Media Permanent Secretary Thabo Kawana has appealed to political parties taking part in Thursday’s polls to stick to the agreed time table, even as campaigns come to a close tomorrow, to avert chaos.
Mr Kawana said Government is in receipt of information suggesting that some presidential candidates who are not supposed to host rallies in Lusaka and Copperbelt are allegedly planning to do so to cause mayhem.
He said some political players want to be in Lusaka, against the approved time line, with a view to clashing with the police so that they can have a last-minute appeal to the voters that they are being harassed.
Addressing a media briefing yesterday, Mr Kawana said the planned confusion is aimed at garnering sympathy votes as campaigns come to a close on Wednesday.
“We are aware that some political parties that were not, for example, to hold their campaign activities in Lusaka today are intending to hold such activities both in Lusaka and the Copperbelt, even when the time-table clearly stimulates where they ought to be,” he said.
“So, if you are supposed to be in Northern Province, be there and not Lusaka. If you are supposed to be in Western Province, according to the time-table that you agreed to, be in that province and not in Lusaka.”
Mr Kawana reminded the political players that the campaign time-table was not imposed on them but was an agreed position by all stakeholders.
He said Zambia must remain peaceful before, during and after the general election.