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—-Police in Lundazi over the weekend invited four major registered political parties in the district to sensitize them on the Public Order Act and Electoral Code of Conduct in order to have incidence-free political campaigns for the forthcoming Presidential elections.
ZANIS in Lundazi reports that District Police Officer-in-Charge, Mujala Mweemba, who summoned chairpersons of Movement for Multiparty Democracy [MMD],Patriotic Front [PF] ,United National Independence Party [UNIP] and United Party for National Development [UPND] at the Police Station, told the party leaders that Police wants to have violence free political campaigns.
Mr Mweemba observed that most political parties in Lundazi were not conversant with the Public Order Act and Electoral Code of Conduct, hence the district experiencing confrontations during political campaigns.
He said the Police Service is not there to intimidate any political party before, during or after elections, but to work with party chairpersons, who should notify police about their campaigns, diaries such as campaign calendars, time, dates, venues and speakers among other information to enable police supervise and protect them.
On the Electoral Code of Conduct, Mr Mweemba said political parties are free to publish and
distribute their political notices and advertisements and canvas freely for membership to woo support and votes.
Mr Mweemba further told the party chairpersons that erection of political banners, placards and posters is free, but posters should not obstruct other parties’ campaign materials and warned that doing so contravenes the Electoral Code of Conduct, Act number 12 of 2006, saying if found,
would-be offenders shall be charged.
Meanwhile political parties in Lundazi have called on the media to be professional in their reporting by being objective before, during and after elections to avoid political violence.
