By ALICE NACHILEMBE
Electoral Commissioner of Zambia Chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis has reiterated that holding of By-elections and any other election should not be a source of conflict, violence, hate speech, hatred or any other bad vice.
Speaking during the briefing for aspiring candidates and stakeholders in Chililabombwe yesterday Ms Zaloumis said that the conduct of this election especially the campaign period will be critical for ECZ to manage.
She said the purpose of this meeting is to update the key stakeholders the conduct and management of by-elections which will take place on 20th April 2023.
Ms Zaloumis said that ECZ attaches great importance to key stakeholders as they play a vital role in the electoral process.
She said the Commission has put in place District Conflict Management Committees to prevent and manage conflicts and have a duty to report any matter to the Committee for resolution.
“The Commission would like to encourage all political players to be tolerant and promote coexistence as these are some of the key ingredients of a maturing democracy and the conduct of peaceful elections,” he said.
Ms Zaloumis said holding the three by-elections in Chililabombwe, Lupososhi and Serenje Districts is coming at an important time when Zambia will co-host the second Summit for Democracy with the United States of America, the governments of Costa Rica, the Netherlands, and the Republic of Korea from 29th to 30th March 2023.
She said the main purpose of this Summit is to underscore the global desire for transparent, accountable, rights-respecting governance.
