COALITION FOR PEACEFUL ELECTIONS IN ZAMBIA URGES PEACE, CONVENES NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER

PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE COALITION FOR PEACEFUL ELECTIONS IN ZAMBIA URGES PEACE, CONVENES NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER Lusaka, 27th July 2021: The Coalition for Peaceful Elections in Zambia is encouraging all political parties, actors and relevant institutions to continue engaging in creating a favourable atmosphere for peaceful, free, fair and transparent elections this August. Following the successful Peace Conference for Political Party Presidents on 14th July 2021 where Presidential Candidates publicly reaffirmed their commitment to Zambia’s peace and national unity, the Peace Pledge signed should translate into practical actions towards encouraging peace and political cohesion on the ground.“We are encouraged by all parties that signed the Peace Pledge. The door is still open for others to sign. The Coalition would like to see a complete cessation of any form of violence leading up to the elections. We urge all to uphold peace as that is in line with Zambia’s democratic values enshrined in the Constitution. Peace now and in future will ensure Sustainable Development and for us to live up to the good example of Zambia being a beacon of peace in the region,” said the representative of the three Church mother bodies Fr. Emmanuel Chikoya.Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID) Board Chairperson, President Jackson Silavwe said, “We urge all political parties to actualize the peace pledge by taking measures to restrain their members from engaging in violence. The signing of the pledge will be meaningless for as long as we will still have incidents of violence.”As part of ongoing efforts to promote peaceful elections in the country, the Coalition are working with the Church Mother Bodies to host a National Day of Prayer on 1st August 2021 at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross to be attended by political party Presidents and selected electoral stakeholders. Plans will be put in place for the event to be streamed in order to allow the public follow the event owing to the need for observance of COVID-19 regulations on physical gatherings. The day of prayer will be held under the theme “Blessed are the Peacemakers”.The Coalition of Peaceful Elections in Zambia is a non-partisan national platform bringing together strategic Organizations whose main goal is to foster a peaceful, united and democratic Zambia where there is political tolerance, respect for diversity, gender equality and protection of fundamental rights and freedoms for all. The coalition is co-convened by three Church Mother Bodies and the Zambia Centre for Inter-party Dialogue, supported by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the United Nations. Other members include Law Association of Zambia (LAZ), the Nongovernmental Gender Organizations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC), Human Rights Commission, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia, Zambia Federation of Disability Organizations, Transparency International, National Youth Development Council and the Zambia Police. For more information, please contact: ZCID Executive Director:” Mrs. Doreen Njovu Kabwe on 0977743862 or Representative of the Church Mother Bodies: Mr. Eugene Kabilika on 0977 712051 Mr. Jackson Silavwe Fr. Emmanuel ChikoyaZCID BOARD CHAIRPERSON CMBs REPRESENTATIVECo- Convenor Co-Convenor Lusaka, 27th July 2021: The Coalition for Peaceful Elections in Zambia is encouraging all political parties, actors and relevant institutions to continue engaging in creating a favourable atmosphere for peaceful, free, fair and transparent elections this August. Following the successful Peace Conference for Political Party Presidents on 14th July 2021 where Presidential Candidates publicly reaffirmed their commitment to Zambia’s peace and national unity, the Peace Pledge signed should translate into practical actions towards encouraging peace and political cohesion on the ground.“We are encouraged by all parties that signed the Peace Pledge. The door is still open for others to sign. The Coalition would like to see a complete cessation of any form of violence leading up to the elections. We urge all to uphold peace as that is in line with Zambia’s democratic values enshrined in the Constitution. Peace now and in future will ensure Sustainable Development and for us to live up to the good example of Zambia being a beacon of peace in the region,” said the representative of the three Church mother bodies Fr. Emmanuel Chikoya.Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID) Board Chairperson, President Jackson Silavwe said, “We urge all political parties to actualize the peace pledge by taking measures to restrain their members from engaging in violence. The signing of the pledge will be meaningless for as long as we will still have incidents of violence.”As part of ongoing efforts to promote peaceful elections in the country, the Coalition are working with the Church Mother Bodies to host a National Day of Prayer on 1st August 2021 at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross to be attended by political party Presidents and selected electoral stakeholders. Plans will be put in place for the event to be streamed in order to allow the public follow the event owing to the need for observance of COVID-19 regulations on physical gatherings. The day of prayer will be held under the theme “Blessed are the Peacemakers”.The Coalition of Peaceful Elections in Zambia is a non-partisan national platform bringing together strategic Organizations whose main goal is to foster a peaceful, united and democratic Zambia where there is political tolerance, respect for diversity, gender equality and protection of fundamental rights and freedoms for all. The coalition is co-convened by three Church Mother Bodies and the Zambia Centre for Inter-party Dialogue, supported by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the United Nations. Other members include Law Association of Zambia (LAZ), the Nongovernmental Gender Organizations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC), Human Rights Commission, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia, Zambia Federation of Disability Organizations, Transparency International, National Youth Development Council and the Zambia Police. For more information, please contact: ZCID Executive Director:” Mrs. Doreen Njovu Kabwe on 0977743862 or Representative of the Church Mother Bodies: Mr. Eugene Kabilika on 0977 712051 Mr. Jackson Silavwe Fr. Emmanuel ChikoyaZCID BOARD CHAIRPERSON CMBs REPRESENTATIVECo- Convenor Co-Convenor