Maravi

ZCID condemns Mufumbwe violence

ZCID condemns Mufumbwe violence
By Chibaula Silwamba
Thu 06 May 2010, 04:00 CAT

ZAMBIA Centre for Inter Party Dialogue (ZCID) has condemned the violence that characterised the Mufumbwe parliamentary by-election late last month and called for an end to political hooliganism.

And ZCID spokesperson Njekwa Anamela said there is nothing wrong with the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) funding an individual political party for capacity building purposes.

Addressing journalists at ZCID secretariat in Lusaka yesterday, Anamela said it was sad that innocent lives were lost and injuries sustained in the Mufumbwe by-election on April 29.

“Regardless of who started the violence, this form of political campaign strategy should be stopped with immediate effect,” Anamela said.

“ZCID is further concerned at the inflammatory political language that has characterised political debate of late. This trend should be stopped henceforth.”
He announced that in the next few months ZCID would engage political parties and other stakeholders to find a permanent solution to this problem.

“Among the expected outputs of this consultative process would be the political parties’ charter which will look at deficiencies in the electoral code of conduct and its proper implementation,” Anamela said.
And Anamela said the MMD and Patriotic Front (PF) qualify for funding from NIMD under the bilateral arrangement.

“The funding is for capacity building,” said Anamela. “I am not aware of any political party that has been given any funding for campaigning by NIMD. If there is such then obviously it will be outside the spirit of our partnership and since I don’t have evidence, it will be unwise for me to confirm something I don’t know.”

Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, ZCID

posted by MrK @ 4:47 AM