By Daily Revelation Reporter
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) says it is engaging the Patriotic Front (PF) over complaints against President Edgar Lungu’s gathering of huge crowds.
Responding to a press query from Daily Revelation over what they were doing on the formal complaint by Harry Kalaba’s Democratic Party (DP) regarding what they termed as President Lungu’s abrogation of the electoral directive after he gathered huge crowds in Mtendere and Bauleni, something the commission has directed against, ECZ corporate affairs manager Patricia Luhanga said they were engaging the PF over the matter.
“They argue that President is just a candidate like the others, but while the Commission has taken steps to deter others from gathering huge crowds they have not done the same with President Lungu. We want to get the Commission’s response over the assertions raised by the DP,” the press query stated in part, with ECZ responding that: “Our response to your query is that the Commission is engaging the political party involved. We are engaging the Patriotic Front as a party. It’s Standard Procedure when a complaint is received.”
In their letter of complaint, the DP through their national secretary Precious Ntambu, accused the commission of double stands as the arbiter of the electoral process, in that having given instructions to all political parties to uphold Covid-19 protocols by ensuring that all candidates keep their numbers to a minimum in order to reduce Covid infections, the ECZ has done nothing against President Lungu, while the opposition were being swamped by the police to ensure adherence to the same protocols.
“We advise that in line with the electoral code of conduct, all parties are to be accorded equal opportunity to campaign without any bias or discrimination. In this case sir, unless measures are taken by the Commission to either disqualify or censure the Patriotic Front as a party or its presidential candidate, we shall take it that you have relaxed the requirement for political parties to adhere to your guidelines,” stated the DP. “Consequently, we shall resume our normal campaigns. We trust you will be magnanimous enough to address the nation and indeed all political parties that the playing field has been leveled and that we should continue to campaign without any hindrance or threat from yourselves or indeed the Zambia Police.”
