Zambian election body bars parties from campaigning in 4 districts

By James Kunda

LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) - Zambia's electoral commission on Tuesday barred the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) and the major opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) from campaigning in four districts due to political violence in the country.

The commission has also prohibited for an indefinite period all political parties and independent candidates from holding roadshows across the country after reports that these events breached COVID-19 restrictions and the electoral code of conduct.

Kryticous Patrick Nshindano, the head of the Electoral Commission, said the ruling and opposition political parties will not campaign in Lusaka district, Namwala in the south, Nakonde on Zambia’s border with Tanzania, and Mpulungu, which surrounds Lake Tanganyika owing to recent violence.

“The suspension will be reviewed after 14 days,” Nshindano said at a news conference in the capital Lusaka.

He lamented the fact that all political parties had turned the roadshows into mobile rallies, as an alternative to the pandemic-related restrictions on political gatherings.

Nshindano said the roadshows were also being used to instigate violence, take down campaign materials, and instill fears in the public, which could impact voters' opinions.

Shortly after the briefing, Police Inspector General Kakoma Kanganja issued a statement directing all his officers to ensure that no member of these parties engages in political activities in the specified districts.

The commission's decisions, however, have been questioned by leaders of the two major parties, with Edgar Lungu, the country's president who is campaigning for re-election, calling them "unfair and unjust."

Davies Mwila, the ruling party's secretary-general, stated that his party is a victim of "the UPND reign of terror and violence."

However, in a social media post, UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema accused the ruling party leader of inciting violence during the political events that forced the commission to impose restrictions.

The Zambia Center for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID) welcomed the commission's decision, saying it should send a strong message to the two major parties allegedly involved in the violence. The ZCID was concerned that if they continued to allow their cadres to engage in violence and unethical behavior, the commission would be forced to cease campaigning across the country.

Zambia will hold elections on Aug. 12 to elect the president, members of the National Assembly, and local government leaders.

The country registered 2,690 COVID-19 infections and 28 deaths over the past 24 hours

Kennedy Malama, the permanent secretary at the Health Ministry, said the COVID-19 bed occupancy in the country has already reached 100%, with new pandemic patients facing the risk of being turned away for home-based care.