NGO COUNSELS POLITICIANS OVER ELECTORAL COMPLAINTS

By PETER SICHALI POLITICAL players must have confidence in the electoral conflict management bodies, GEARS Executive Director McDonald Chipenzi has said. Mr Chipenzi said players must have confidence in the electoral process and utilise conflict management avenues ahead of the August 12, general election. He was reacting to rigging claims by UPND president Hakainde Hichilema, …

NGO COUNSELS POLITICIANS OVER ELECTORAL COMPLAINTS
By PETER SICHALI POLITICAL players must have confidence in the electoral conflict management bodies, GEARS Executive Director McDonald Chipenzi has said. Mr Chipenzi said players must have confidence in the electoral process and utilise conflict management avenues ahead of the August 12, general election. He was reacting to rigging claims by UPND president Hakainde Hichilema, who has written to SADC and AU over what he has termed as compromised voter’s register. “Whether there is truth or whether the avenue is the right one to use is another issue. Instead of resorting to violence, it is good that those who are sensing some discomfort in the electoral process to report peace avenues to attend to their perceived grievances,” Mr Chipenzi said. Mr Chipenzi said in as much it was not wrong to write SADC and AU over alleged electoral fears, the two bodies were not legislated in the country’s electoral process. He said only the national and district management conflict management committees were legally mandated by the Electoral Process Act to address electoral conflicts.