SOMETHING IS JUST NOT RIGHT WITH THESE BY-ELECTIONS
By Lawrence Kasonde
Elections are in two days time, but no one knows when the ballot papers will be in and where they are being printed from.
To make it worse, this is the first time in history that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) is printing ballot papers without engaging representatives from opposition political parties and aspiring MPs to take part in witnessing the ballot paper printing and delivery exercise for purposes of transparency.
In addition, Yes we do understand that according to the public order act, the Republican President can visit any place at any time, but why should it be in this way where he spends the whole week campaigning in Kwacha Constituency until the day of elections.
Last week, it was the Vice President who was campaigning in Kwacha for a whole week, now it’s the President when they perfectly know that campaigns are just for two weeks.
The President’s presence this week and the Vice President’s presence last week in the constituency have affected most of our planned campaign activities, as a result we are being blocked from engaging the electorates in the constituency which is not fair.
In addition to not being given access to our electorates, our days have been characterized with intimidations, victimization and threats such as that of being abducted and released after elections.
All aspiring opposition MP candidates have either been summoned by ACC or the Police just for the purposes of intimidation while others campaign.
Honestly, is this how it is going to be?
The continued unfair treatment we are receiving just because we pose to be threats will soon yield a reaction from people that no one will stop.
Kwacha is bigger than all of us.
These elections are not free and fair.
We live to fight another day.
