FORMER MMD Lusaka Province taskforce chairman Chiwele Maimisa says those calling for the medical tests for the presidential candidates are promoting discrimination.
And opposition Democratic Assembly president Maxwell Mwamba says there is no law to compel presidential candidates to undergo medical tests.
Mr Maimisa said in an interview yesterday that subjecting presidential candidates to tests is tantamount to promoting discrimination.
“This idea of subjecting people to tests will bring a lot of confusion in the nation,” Mr Maimisa said.
And Mr Mwamba said in an interview that the constitution does not provide for conducting tests on candidates.
Mr Mwamba said what ought to be an issue is not health but plausible action by candidates.

GREEN Party president Peter Sinkamba has promised to create an 11th province to be called Tanganyika if elected president in this month’s poll.
Mr Sinkamba said the 11th province would comprise Mbala, Kaputa, Mpulungu, Senga Hill, Mporokoso, Luwingu and Nsumbu districts.
He said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the headquarters of Tanganyika Province would be Mbala.
“I am promising the people in this area a new province because this will help us to develop. This area has continued to lag in terms of development because the previous governments did not pay attention to it.
“When we form government, we will work hard and ensure that this area is developed to expected levels,” Mr Sinkamba said.
He said if elected president, his government will also turn the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) Samora Machel Airport in Mbala into a commercial airport to help boost tourism.
“If you look at this area, you will understand that there are a lot of tourism products which have been neglected due to lack of serious marketing.
“We want to start attracting more tourists to this area so that we can get more revenue from this sector,” he said.
Mr Sinkamba also said his campaigns are progressing well and is confident of winning the election.

SOME senior Government officials gripped by the fear of losing their jobs after the January 20 presidential election are plundering Government property including houses and vehicles.
Government sources have revealed a discriminatory scheme in which only a few top civil servants were sharing houses that were designated as institutional or pool houses, whose sale had been banned.
The prospects of losing jobs and other benefits if Edgar Lungu of the Patriotic Front (PF) or Hakainde Hichilema of the UPND came into office has forced the adjustment of policy to enable the top civil servants buy pool houses.
“This is not fair and we should all be allowed to buy pool houses not just the top officials,” an officer complained.
The officials have insisted that schemes were underway to sell institutional houses in contravention of public policy and that this was being done to give unfair advantage to top-most civil servants.
“High-level connections are at play here. We know who are involved and why they are doing each other favours at the expense of public policy,” he said.
But Works and Supply deputy minister Colonel Panji Kaunda said it was not true that some senior civil servants had offered themselves Government houses and vehicles for sale because every Government property was well documented and recorded.
Col Kaunda said Government pool houses could not be sold to the current occupants because they were institutional properties that could not be converted to private property.
Col Kaunda said it was not easy for any Government property to be sold without the knowledge of the Secretary to Cabinet who was the principal controlling offer in Government, adding that as far as he was concerned, no civil servant was taking advantage of the transition period to loot public property.
“There is nothing like plundering public property and it is a total lie that such is happening. Government property cannot be sold like one buying cabbage at the market. There is a systematic and consistent process through which Government property such as houses and motor vehicles are disposed of and this cannot succeed without the Secretary to Cabinet approving and so far he has not approved anything of that nature,” Col Kaunda said.
Junior officers however have revealed that there was panic in the ministries and statutory institutions where officials are reported to have started converting Government vehicles into personal names.
There is fear that the new Government would not be able to trace the property because documents were being destroyed. The officers believe that there is a systematic plunder of public property as there are growing fears that whoever was going to form government after this month’s presidential election would not renew their contracts.
But Cabinet Office said it was not possible for senior civil servants to misappropriate Government properties because the system was tight and could only be breached if there were a chain of officers involved in the illegal act. The officials from Cabinet Office explained that the Government system had to continue functioning whenever Government was about to change hands or not and that speculations about civil servants looting public property were unfounded because all the properties were well documented.
They said the conditions of service of senior civil servants were that after the expiry of their contracts or tenure of their offices, they were entitled to buy the personal to holder vehicles and offered a house to buy as part of their terminal benefits.
“There is no plunder or looting of Government property such as houses or motor vehicles. The information you have is not only incorrect but incomplete because the conditions of service for senior civil servants are such that after the expiry of their contracts or tenure of office, they are offered personal to holder vehicles and houses to buy as part of their terminal benefits,” they said

DailyNation

(Editorial Comment)
PLUNDER
As a newspaper that has been following events following the death of President Michael Sata on October 28, we did not envision that the breach of guidelines for use of public resources during the period of national mourning and transition would be spearheaded by top civil servants.
This is because top civil servants, controlling officers to be precise, met at Lusaka’s Government Complex where they discussed how to safeguard public resources and assets, but the resolve is flagging with less than transparent policy shifts.
The truth is that procedural propriety is not a substitute for morality, legitimacy or justification. The abrogation of policy on the pretext that procedure was followed is a false premise for the selective benefaction of individuals.
If policy was changed, it must affect all and not a few otherwise such change of policy is illegal, irregular and therefore corrupt.
When Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba addressed more than 250 central Government and public sector officials, he stressed the need to maintain economic stability and to safeguard public resources and assets during the transition period.
Mr Yamba reminded the officials that as custodians of public resources and assets, they had a duty to maintain the confidence of the public through prudent management of funds and development of processes which would strengthen management of public resources and adherence to laid down procedures.
He warned that misappropriation, misapplication and misuse of funds would not be tolerated and urged controlling officers and heads of public institutions to ensure that strict financial and asset management guidelines were observed. From this meeting, we expected the senior officials to conduct their affairs with dignity to ensure all assets were properly accounted for when the new President is elected.
But we note with disappointment that while the meeting of the senior Government officials was successful, the purpose of the meeting did not sink in the minds of some officials.
With a few days remaining before Zambians elect a new President, there are public officers taking advantage of the transition period to plunder public resources.
While it is easy to point at a house or a vehicle which has been illegally converted, it is not so easy to trace how other liquid assets are being moved.
We urge security agencies to take an interest in what is happening in the public service to ensure that Government assets are protected.
When Mr Yamba addressed the controlling officers, he revealed that he had requested the Road Traffic and Safety Agency (RTSA) and the Controller of Government Transport to guard against change of ownership of Government vehicles during the transition period.
We are hoping that in the aftermath of the Presidential election on January 20, RTSA will show that there was no Government vehicle which was taken there for change of ownership.
We do not understand the reason for the current rush for conversion of Government property into private hands if the assets have no ownership challenges.
Those conniving to plunder public resources should be mindful that the long arm of the law is never short.

FAZ President Kalusha Bwalya has dismissed a story appearing on online media suggesting that he made a donation of $20,000.00 to the United Party for National Development (UPND).
The soccer Icon has distanced himself from the false report and stated that he is surprised to learn of such a story.
Kalusha said he has never met any UPND official or its leader Hakainde Hichilema or any of his agents.
He explained that he didn’t know the source of such a story but speculated that it was probably done to tarnish his image.
Kalusha who is in South Africa has therefore advised Zambians to ignore the story published on an online newspaper.

Suspected Patriotic Front cadres this morning attacked UPND supporters in Mongu with a UPND provincial trustee feared dead.
The incident happened at Mongu Airport after UPND President Hakainde Hichilema was unable to fly out of Mongu as a result of the visit to the area by acting President Guy Scott.
The UPND provincial trustee who was hit with a plunk on the head by a PF cadre in full view of the Police sustained a deep cut on the forehead.
And UPND President Hakainde Hichilema has condemned what he has described as the terrible violence and thuggish behavior witnessed in Mongu this morning.
Mr Hichilema says with such violence, he doubts the elections on 20th January will be peaceful and free and fair.
He says the perpetrator of the violent act on the UPND official should be arrested for murder or attempted murder if the victim survives.
Mr Hichilema says Zambians must vote against thuggery in the forthcoming presidential election.

Complaints of failure ATMs run by almost all commercial banks in Zambia continue to rise, especially with the advent of the rains which appear to add misery to the service.
Customers say they find notices of “out of service” on many machines each time they wanted to withdraw cash.
Mr Geoffrey Nkandu of Libala said banks in Zambia should improve their ATM services which currently were far below par.
Mr Nkandu said apart from malfunctioning ATMs, some of the machines often run out of money for unexplained reasons.
He said it was not unusual to find ATMs out of service because it had now become the normal way of life in Zambia where service providers were taking their customers too much for granted.
“Unfortunately there is nowhere we can go and complain about this poor service which is being offered to Zambian consumers,” said Mr Nkandu.
Another customer, Ms Esnart Mbewe said she and some of her close friends have suffered considerably at the hands of ATMs which swallowed their cards as they attempted to withdraw money.
Ms Mbewe said once the card was swallowed, to retrieve it was another hustle which left the victim wondering whether it was worth it to keep money in the bank.
“My card has been swallowed by an ATM machine twice for no apparent reason and it takes some good effort to retrieve the document.
‘‘Sometimes I wonder why I bother to keep my money in the bank at all,” said Ms Mbewe.
Mr Boniface Kombwe of Kamwala said apart from failing ATMs, long queues at these machines was also discouraging.
He said ATMs were supposed to speed up service delivery to customers but long queues at some of the ATM sites were the order of the day.
“Actually what has happened is that some banks have simply moved the queues from inside banks to outside where security is poor.
‘‘It does not make any sense at all,” he said
Mr Kombwe appealed to banks to service their ATM machines regularly to improve on their service delivery.

In the aftermath of the shocking terrorist attack on The Charlie Hebdo magazine offices in Paris, France, controversial Nigerian Pastor T.B. Joshua has released a video claiming to have predicted the deadly massacre several months ago.

“In a French country, this is France, I’m seeing an attack,” the cleric is seen telling his congregation in a video dated Sunday 20^th April 2014. “There will be an attack there. They should take note of Wednesday and Thursday,” he continues.

The clip, uploaded to YouTube channel Emmanuel TV, shows the pastor speaking again to his vast congregants the following week on Sunday 27th April 2014.“These people are still in the town,” he said. “I was saying last week in Paris; that was the location I saw last week.”

The brutal attack on Wednesday 7th January 2015 by suspected Al Qaeda militants left 12 dead, including the editor, three cartoonists and the deputy chief editor of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. It is France’s deadliest post-war terrorist attack.

“We pray that God would strengthen all the family, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives during the horrific terrorist attack,” the message on the Emmanuel TV clip concluded.

Joshua, who is known for his wide-ranging predictions, made headlines recently for the prophecy he purportedly gave concerning the crash of AirAsia Flight 8501 in Indonesia. The video of the prediction reached 150,000 views on YouTube in under two weeks. 

SOURCE: YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k03Ye5xusTY

Acting President Dr Guy Scott says he knows the people that sent PF cadres to attack a UPND campaign team in Shiwang’andu last week, but is still waiting for a full report to make comparisons.
And Dr Scott says Shiwang’andu member of parliament Stephen Kampyongo should have condemned the violence in his constituency rather than try to justify it.
In an interview, acting President Scott said he had information on the people behind the attack on a helicopter that was carrying the UPND team that included former first lady Maureen Mwanawasa and former deputy Speaker Mutale Nalumango, among others.
“I know where the people came from and who brought them into Shiwang’andu, so I am just waiting to see in black and white what the full report will say. It is a dangerous thing to do, throwing stones at a chopper!” he said without specifying what sort of action he would take.
And Dr Scott said Kampyongo, the home affairs deputy minister, should have simply condemned the act of violence outright without trying to justify anything. “He [Kampyongo] phoned me this [Monday] morning, explaining the context in which his statement was based on. He was saying in the news item where he was quoted, he meant to say the UPND team should have called him to inform him about their plans to travel to the area so that he could have protected them,” said acting President Scott. Kampyongo is quoted as having said the UPND campaign team should have notified him about their intentions to hold campaign meetings in his constituency.
Acting President Scott condemned the incident, saying violence had no place in Zambian politics and directed the law enforcement agencies to investigate the matter.

Rupiah Banda and Edgar Lungu have made more scandalous deals in West Africa than what The Post exposed, says MMD leader Nevers Mumba.
Sources have disclosed that the former president agreed to support Lungu’s candidature in this month’s presidential election on condition that he discontinues his court cases, closes down The Post and removes Mutembo Nchito as Director of Public Prosecutions. Following the revelations, Mumba said he had conducted his own investigations and discovered that Lungu and the former president had made “more significant and bigger deals” than what had been reported. “Yes, I have extra information that is even more significant, even bigger than what is in the papers,” he said.
Mumba said at an appropriate time, he would reveal to the nation what he had gathered surrounding the deal between Banda and Lungu. “I do not want to say how many of those issues I found in West Africa, but I would like to wait and have more than one source. The Bible says in the mouth of two or three witnesses, the truth shall be established,” he said in an interview yesterday. And Mumba said Banda’s decision to support Lungu was highly immoral. “Time has come for politicians in our country to change; to be principled because in life when you have your own home that you are running, you are going to have problems there.
But for you to start supporting another wife confirms that you are either out of your mind or you are a double tobela,” he told a newsmakers forum organised by the Press Freedom Committee of The Post in Lusaka on Monday evening.
He said by endorsing Lungu, Banda had lost all forms of dignity and respect from all well-meaning Zambians. “I cannot speak against him as my elder brother but I can say this; the Zambians, including myself, no longer look at him the way we looked at him the day before yesterday (Sunday),” Mumba said. He said it was unprecedented for a leader to abandon his political values and ideals and embrace those of his opponents. Mumba said Lungu would lose votes by embracing Banda because no Zambian in their right frame of mind would feel inspired and follow the duo’s example.

Kasama Central member of parliament Geoffrey Mwamba says his support for UPND is visionary unlike bootlickers who cannot see beyond their tummies.
Addressing UPND supporters on arrival at Ndola’s Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport on Tuesday evening, Mwamba said he saw where others could not see, adding that whatever he was doing was best for Zambia.
“I see where others don’t see. Others have condemned me, saying I am supporting a wrong party. This is exactly what they did in 2008 when I joined PF. [Michael] Sata was almost alone but I decided because I saw vision in Sata… But those so-called bootlickers can’t see beyond their tummies.
I’m doing this for the sake of Zambia. I have enough to eat for myself but it’s not about myself; it’s about all of you. I will be part of all the [UPND] rallies that will take place on the Copperbelt,” Mwamba said. And speaking on Ndola’s Sun FM radio interview on Tuesday evening, Mwamba dismissed assertions suggesting that his support for UPND was a strategy to position himself for leadership if the party wins the January 20 election.
“I supported president Sata even when no one wanted to be associated with him. I’m not a job seeker, I’m a successful businessman. Saying I’m positioning myself for a job is misplaced because I’m more than a job. I resigned as defence minister, how many would do that? And I don’t regret my decision,” he said. And when Sun FM presenter Kausa Mbasela asked him whether he was still loyal to the PF, Mwamba answered in the affirmative. “I’m still loyal to PF and I am sure Zambians know that. You know politics is about numbers but some people in PF thought me and my friend Given Lubinda and [Sylvia] Masebo were not relevant when all these are strong pillars,” said Mwamba.
Meanwhile, UPND national chairperson Mutale Nalumango challenged media institutions to handle media freedom with responsibility.

ZNBC PULLS DOWN MMD ADVERT HIGHLIGHTING PF FAILURES
The Director General
Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation
Mass Media complex
Lusaka
8th January 2015
Dear Sirs,
Re: Your Decision to Pull Down the MMD TV Campaign advert
I refer to the above matter.
I note that we as MMD had delivered to your institution a campaign advert for your broadcasting. A contract was signed between ourselves and ZNBC and the requisite fees was paid by us effectively furnishing consideration to consummate a binding contract between us and yourselves. The said advert, highlighting some of the failures of one of the competitors in the forthcoming 20th January 2015 Presidential elections, the Patriotic Front and explaining what our candidate will do once elected was even aired on Monday 5th January 2015.
It has now come to our attention that at the instruction of a named PF MP and Minister in the current Government, you have decided to stop airing our paid for Political advert. Efforts by us to get you to air the said political advert have proved futile. This action is a clear breach of contract on your part and the damages and consequences to us will be severe and irreparable, especially given that we are going to the polls in less than a fortnight. Your illegal and unwarranted pulling down of our political advert will also adversely affect our capacity to campaign effectively.
Further, this decision also offends the electoral code of conduct which mandates your organisation to give equal and/or fair coverage to all the competitors in the election. We shall therefore by copy of this letter be lodging a complaint to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) regarding this illegal, unfair and biased conduct on your part.
Your decision is particularly unfair to and biased against the MMD given that you have allowed all the competitors in the forthcoming election to freely air their adverts on both radio and Television without hampering or censoring them.
We hereby demand that you immediately resume airing our paid for advert, aforesaid failure to which we will in the next 24 hours commence legal proceedings against you for breach of contract.
We shall also proceed to report the officers involved to the relevant investigative authorities for abuse of their offices.
Yours faithfully,
Mwansa Mbulakulima
ACTING NATIONAL SECRETARY
cc: Electoral Commission of Zambia
cc: Media houses

Police in Solwezi have recovered 584 green National registration cards (NRCs) from Senior Chief Musele, who has been keeping them for his subjects since 2008.
North-Western Province Police Commissioner Eugene Sibote said in an interview yesterday that the traditional leader has allegedly been asking his subjects to pay K50 or give him a chicken for them to get back their respective NRCs.
Mr Sibote said the chief has not been arrested but he surrendered the cards after being warned.
He said some concerned members of the public reported the matter to the police leading to the recovery of the NRCs.
“What we have here are 584 green national registration cards belonging to some people in Musele chiefdom which the chief has been keeping since 2008 and asking the owners to pay K50 or bring a chicken to have their identities back,” Mr Sibote said.
He said the cards came into the chief’s possession after the courts disposed of a case in which a local headman was challenging Senior Chief Musele. The headman had collected the NRCs to facilitate the removal of his chiefdom’s names from the cards.
“The background of this is that there is a headman called Lubango who collected the NRCs from the people so that he could remove Senior Chief Musele’s name because he was claiming that he was not the rightful chief as he is Lunda and cannot be a chief in a Kaonde area,” Mr Sibote said.
He said the cards will be given to the rightful owners next week so that they can participate in the January 20 presidential election.
Mr Sibote urged chiefs to obey the law, adding that it is a serious offence for any person to be found with more than one NRC.

As Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), we wish to express our shock and dismay at the reported plans by the Patriotic Front (PF) in collusion with former president Mr Rupiah Banda to close down the Post Newspaper if elected into office on 20th January 2015.

This is yet another episode in the endless tendency of the PF to stifle media freedoms as they have done the last three years. They have harassed journalists and independent media houses with frivolous law suits and arrests, leading to Zambia being downgraded on media freedom indices worldwide.

We wish to let the PF and Mr Banda know that their purported plans to close down The Post are wishful thinking and shall not succeed because the paper is very robust and has a strong foundation anchored on media freedoms which the MMD introduced in 1991. The Post has survived every assault and attempt to close them down.

What is most surprising about this matter is that the PF was very well covered by The Post in the run up to the 2011 elections and partly owes its electoral win to the paper’s reporting.

We therefore advise the PF to leave this matter alone as their alleged plans will come to nothing. Their actions amount to stirring the hornet’s nest and shall leave them badly bruised.

The New Hope MMD strongly believes in media freedoms and any attempt to close down a media house shall be condemned by us in the strongest terms possible and we shall stand with all those victimized. We have come too far with our media freedoms for us to abandon them because of an undemocratic ruling party.

We urge all media houses being harassed to stand firm and never give up in their quest to report the truth. Once elected, the New Hope MMD shall restore full media freedoms that the PF took away and ensure the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) is truly independent.

Mwansa Mbulakulima
MMD ACTING NATIONAL SECRETARY

The United Party for National Development (UPND) has challenged Patriotic Front President Edgar Lungu to renounce violence and not simply condemn it.

Speaking during a media briefing this morning, UPND President Hakainde Hichilema’s Special Advisor, Douglas Siyakalima says there is no doubt that the PF is losing the forthcoming election the reason why they have resorted to violence to instill fear in people.

Mr. Siyakalima says the UPND will not allow the violent conduct of PF cadres to continue ahead of the 20th January, 2015 presidential election.

He says the PF should not push UPND members too far, stating that the party believes in promoting peace.

Mr. Siyakalima says while the UPND is a peaceful party, this does not mean that they are not capable to retaliating.
He says it is time the PF accepted that the Zambian people no longer need them.

Mr. Siyakalima notes Zambia is almost losing the peace it has enjoyed for fifty years because of the violence being perpetuated by Patriotic Front cadres.

He laments that poor Zambians are being used to beat up people while those allegedly sending them are safely in their homes with their families.

Mr Siyalakilma has also appealed to the Police to be fair and ensure that perpetrators of violence are brought to book.
And Mr.Siyakalima has also appealed to the church to come out strongly and condemn violence for the sake of peace and unity in country.

This is the advert that was cancelled by government after appearing on national TV Zambia ZNBC. See video below:

PF Cadres

Acting President Dr Guy Scott says police did not do enough to keep UPND and PF cadres apart at Mongu airport.
Commenting on the violence that occurred on Wednesday, acting President Scott said Mongu airport was full of cadres from the two rival groups trying to impress their senior party officials. “The police did not do enough to keep these two sides apart.
It was a dangerous thing to do, which should not be allowed. When I arrived, I saw two factions mingling at the airport. Cadres are difficult to control at the airport because you find aeroplanes there and these are delicate. So the police did not foresee the difficulties,” he said. The acting President said UPND president Hakainde Hichilema was advised against travelling at the same time that he (Scott) was arriving in Mongu but that the opposition leader defied the advice.
“HH was advised to clear but he didn’t do that and the police thought he had left, but he hadn’t. I would have changed my flying time if I knew he was flying out,” he said. Acting President Scott also noted that there was a trend of cadres moving around fully armed. “This is also happening in PF and when they get into each other’s way, it is a problem,” said acting President Scott.
And local government minister Emmanuel Chenda said Hichilema should have given way to acting President Scott. “Normal courtesy demands that HH should give way when the acting President is coming. He should have left earlier or after we had left.
For PF cadres, it was unavoidable because the acting President was arriving. It is clear that it is us leaders who make cadres clash,” said Chenda. And speaking earlier when he toured the Mongu-Kalabo road, Dr Scott said the works were ahead of schedule and that the quality of the road looked good. He said once completed, the Mongu-Kalabo road would change the economic outlook of the people in the two towns. “This is development and not a joke. I have crossed this plain before in the past and it was not like this, it is not a joke.
Angola will be up for business because Angola has a lot of money. This road will last because it is made up of deep metres of concrete pile. It is an expensive undertaking,” said acting President Scott.

One Zambia One Nation

The Electoral Commission of Zambia has threatened to end the campaign before the scheduled end date of 19th January, 2015 if the unfolding political violence and intolerance in various parts of the country continues.

ECZ Public Relations Manager Crispin Akufuna in a statement to QFM News says the Commission further calls on the Zambia Police Service to ensure that perpetrators of violence and anyone caught abrogating the Electoral Code of Conduct is dealt with firmly without fear of favour, irrespective of which political party they belong to.

Mr Akufuna says the Commission reminds all political parties participating in the presidential election that it is their responsibility to restrain their members and cadres from provoking their opponents and inciting violence.

He adds that leaders of political parties have an even greater responsibility to lead by example by promoting tolerance and peace and setting the tone for a level playing field for free and fair elections.

Mr Akufuna further reminds all political parties that they have a duty to ensure that their candidates, cadres and supporters abide by the electoral regulations, including the Code of Conduct.

He states that the ECZ will soon convene a meeting of all the participating political parties, the church and other stakeholders to chart a way forward on the ugly scourge of violence.

And the Electoral Commission of Zambia has condemned in the strongest terms the endorsements by some traditional leader of some candidates, which may exert undue influence on their subjects.

Mr Akufuna says while Chiefs may be invited to political functions, they should desist from making partisan statements.

He points out that the endorsement of some candidates by traditional leaders is an abrogation of Section 129 of the Republican Constitution, which states that, a person shall not while remaining a chief join or participate in partisan politics.

He states that the Commission is disappointed that the trend of endorsements has continued despite its recent efforts to engage traditional leaders on the importance of being non-partisan and the need for them to desist from coercing or intimidating their subjects during campaigns, public debates or elections.

THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has warned that it will be forced to end the election campaign period earlier than the scheduled date of January 19 if incidents of violence and intolerance among political parties participating in the forthcoming presidential election persist.
ECZ public relations manager Crispin Akufuna said in a statement issued yesterday that the commission will be compelled to cancel the campaigns before January 19 if the unfolding incidents of violence and intolerance in various parts of the country continue.
“As we have said before, elections are the only way of choosing leaders to political office and should not be synonymous with violence.  The commission wishes to remind all participating political parties that they have a duty to ensure that their candidates, cadres and supporters abide by the electoral regulations including the code of conduct,” Mr Akufuna said.
He said it is the responsibility of political parties taking part in the presidential election to retrain their members and cadres from provoking their opponents and inciting violence.
“Leaders of all political parties have an even greater responsibility to lead by example by promoting tolerance and peace and setting the tone for a level playing field for free and fair election,” Mr Akufuna said.
He said ECZ will soon convene a meeting of all political parties, the church and other stakeholders to chart a way forward on the “ugly” scourge of violence.
Mr Akufuna urged the police to ensure perpetrators of violence and any person caught abrogating the Electoral Code of Conduct are dealt with firmly without fear or fear and irrespective of the political party they belong to.
And Mr Akufuna said the ECZ has also condemned some traditional leaders who have endorsed some presidential candidates in the forthcoming election.
He said endorsements by chiefs may exert undue influence on their subjects.
Mr Akufuna advised traditional leaders to desist from making partisan statements when invited to political functions.
“The endorsements of some candidates by traditional leaders is an abrogation of Section 129 of the Constitution, which states that a person shall not while remaining a chief join or participate in partisan politics,” Mr Akufuna said.

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Edgar Lungu yesterday held a closed-door meeting with six European Union (EU) ambassadors and assured them that there will be no policy shift if he is elected President in the January 20 poll.
The PF leader met British High Commissioner James Thornton, Finnish Ambassador Timo Olkkonen, Italian ambassador Pier Mario Dacco, EU head of delegation Gilles Hervio, Germany Ambassador Bernd Finke and Swedish counsellor for economic and political affairs Klas Ljungberg for an hour at Mr Hervio’s residence.
Mr Lungu arrived at Mr Hervio’s residence when he answered a breakfast call extended to him by the EU head of delegation at exactly 07:54 hours in the company of Kaiser Zulu, a former permanent secretary at State House.
“We assured the diplomats that foreign investment shall remain secure here when we take over Government,” Mr Lungu told journalists shortly after the meeting.
He said dialogue between Government and investors, especially those in the mining sector will continue so that a win-win situation is achieved.
Mr Lungu said security, rule of law and good governance will be sustained.
Mr Lungu also said the fight against corruption will remain a priority.
He warned that abuse of public resources will not be tolerated to ensure scarce resources reach the vulnerable.
Mr Lungu also said infrastructure development will remain a priority and that agriculture and mining will be attended to as well.
Mr Lungu said his Government will also tackle poverty and ensure that Zambians live dignified lives.
Mr Lungu, who is also Minister of Defence and doubles as Minister of Justice assured EU diplomats that dialogue between foreign investors, especially mining owners shall continue so that both Zambia and the investors can reach a “win-win” point.
According to a statement issued by the PF media team, Mr Lungu assured that unity shall be encouraged because he embraces both opposition and ruling party members so that Zambia’s peace can be maintained and to further strengthen the ruling party.
Mr Lungu also said crop and economic diversification will be encouraged under him so that the economy can grow beyond the current rate in order to reduce poverty and increase job creation
He expressed confidence that he will win the January 20 poll based on the “massive” infrastructure roll-out the PF embarked since it took over government in 2011, and also largely based on the overwhelming support he is receiving from within and outside PF.
The EU delegation said it is grateful that Mr Lungu was able to take time off his busy schedule to discuss with them matters of national importance as cooperating partners.