– Candidates withdrawal saddens FODEP

Candidates withdrawal saddens FODEP

Livingstone, July 8 2013, ZANIS——The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) in Livingstone City says it is concerned about the lack of information for electorates pertaining to candidates’ withdrawal after successful nomination in the run-up period to elections.

FODEP Chairperson for Livingstone, Gideon Musonda says it was imperative for electorates to be sensitized on the implications of candidates withdrawing after successful nominations to avoid cases where electorates still voted for them.

“In Livingstone Constituency we have had aspiring parliamentary candidates withdrawing after nominations during 2012 and 2013 by – elections, despite pulling out of the race a number of electorates still had to vote for them and got more votes than some of the candidates who contested. We feel that this situation is unfortunate,” he said.

ZANIS reports that Mr. Musonda said this in a statement made available in Livingstone today.

He said FODEP was concerned that if an uninterested candidate was voted into power it would be difficult to question or to hold that person accountable if he or she did not perform according to the electorate’s expectations.

“It is extremely important that electorates are sensitized that when a nominated candidate decides to pull out of an election, the clear message they communicate is that electorates should not vote for them because they are out of the race,” he said.

Mr. Musonda urged Kafulafuta Constituency electorates to concentrate on and vote for available interested candidates following the withdrawal of MMD candidate, Evelyn Mwanawasa on health grounds.

FODEP called on the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) and other stake holders to sensitize electorates on the content of the Electoral Act unlike letting political party officials speculate on the course of action to be taken in the media.

Meanwhile, Mr. Musonda was hopeful that all electoral stakeholders in the forth coming July 25 by – elections would observe the electoral code of conduct in order to ensure free and fair elections.

“Participation is one of the main pillars of democracy, we therefore appeal to the electorates to turn up in large numbers on the poll day,” he said