Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Five Presidential candidates out of the nine contesting the forthcoming general election have signed a peace pact pledging to conduct peaceful campaigns.
This was after a heated meeting called by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) in Lusaka today for presidential candidates taking part in the forthcoming elections.
The five political parties are the Patriotic Front, United National Independence Party (UNIP), Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD), Democratic Assembly (DA) and People’s Alliance for Change (PAC).
Briefing journalists after an almost four hours closed door meeting, ECZ Chairperson Justice Esau Chulu says the remaining four political parties namely UPND,UNIP,Rainbow party and the Green party will sign the pledge before the end of the campaigns suspension period in Lusaka and Namwala so that there is order in the manner campaigns are conducted.
Justice Chulu says the commission has been requested to append the sanctions that will go with the pledge for peaceful campaigns in the event that political parties default.
He says it is the hope of the Commission that political parties will this time around honor their pledge to conduct peaceful campaigns.
And President Edgar Lungu has described the meeting as fruitful despite some differences in opinions which he says is normal in a democracy.
And UPND President Hakainde Hichilema says he has not signed the pledge because there is no clear outline how the pledges will be enforced.
He says political party leaders have been signing such pledges without proper enforcement, thus the need to be clear how this will be enforced so as to promote peaceful campaigns.
And FDD Leader Edith Nawakwi says she signed the pledge because she is desperate for solutions to violence as her party has been on the receiving end of what she has termed as barbaric acts.