Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
MacDonald Chipenzi
Governance, Elections, Advocacy and Services (GEARS) Initiative Zambia is delighted at the peaceful manner political parties conducted themselves during the nominations of their candidates on Tuesday, ahead of the three district council chairpersons and eight ward by-elections to be held on 14 September, 2017.
GEARS Director MacDonald Chipenzi says imperatively, electoral stakeholders should endeavor to promote conducive electoral environment by practicing politics of respect and tolerance in Lavushimanda, Itezhi-Itezhi and Kanchibiya districts and also in the eight wards by-elections.
Mr. Chipenzi has however disclosed that GEARS is in receipt of an ugly incident of violence involving a district commissioner and UPND cadres in Itezhi-Itezhi District of Central Province which happened on Wednesday, 15 August, 2017, a day after peaceful nomination.
He says this isolated incident of electoral violence ahead of the Itezhi-Itezhi District Council Chairperson by-election is most regrettable and should remind all those involved that the Itezhi-Itezhi seat was nullified before on account of violence that happened during the 2016 General Elections.
He says violence must not be encouraged again to avoid a repeat of petitioned electoral outcomes.
He adds that it is also surprising how a civil servant, in the name of a district commissioner, got entangled in political activities which are supposed to be a game of active political practitioners.