Africa-Press – Zambia. The PF has urged the international media not to fun instability but propagate a peaceful electoral process ahead of Zambia’s general elections next week.
Zambia’s ruling party, the Patriotic Front (PF), cautioned the international media and election obsevers to clearly state what they wanted if peace and stability were not their agenda.
PF Political and Media Committee Spokesperson Amos Chanda has said the ruling party supported the executive decision to enhance security by deploying the military following the death of two PF members by suspected UPND criminals in Kanyama Constituency in Lusaka City.
Mr. Chanda, a former Presidential Press Aide and Diplomat, said the absence of peace and security would not allow for any credible election adding that Zambia Defence Force operated within the Constitution.
He urged the international media to reach out to ruling party organs for accurate information and that the Ministry of Information would be readily available to be accessed by the international media.
Some sections of the international media reported that President Edgar Lungu deployed the military to intimidate voters. Mr. Chanda said the military was constitutionally mandated to prevent any internal and external threat to peace and security.
He said the regretable killing of two PF members by suspected UPND criminals in Kanyama Constituency in Lusaka was in public domain of which everyone condemned the violence. Mr. Chanda said PF welcomed the enhanced security decision as it was an assurance that Zambia would hold a credible election.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chanda questioned if the international media wanted to promote voter apathy instead of larger turnout. He stated that the high voter registration in PF strongholds was a patriotic decision to mobilize people to vote. Mr. Chanda said PF created a conducive environment for party members to register and it was not a responsibility of the party to mobilize for other parties.
And Mr. Chanda urged all stakeholders to follow the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) rules. He further stated that the ruling party welcomed the foreign observers big delegation currentlyin the country. Mr. Chanda said PF never objected to the presence of foreign observers as there was nothing wrong with them coming in.
He said there was no official comment as they were welcome clarifying that whoever verbally attacked the observers did so in their personal capacity. Mr. Chanda also declined to comment on transfer of power next week because he only sawa sense of continuation. He said the Zambian currency, the Kwacha, was rebounding because it sensed continuation. Mr. Chanda emphasized that the ruling party had worked hard to secure a clear victory.
