By Staff Writer, Lusaka
Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Commissioner Hon. Mr. Justice Christopher Sichimwa
Mushabati has said that the youth in Zambia are key stakeholders in the electoral process and that they should
participate in the electoral process by promoting peace.
Justice Mushabati was speaking at the Lusaka Girls School
Hall in Lusaka where he officially opened the ECZ Youth Conference.
Four (4) Youth Conferences are being held for youths in
Lusaka District and Youths from All Lusaka constituencies
representing political parties, Civil Society, the Clergy,
Institutions of Learning and the General Public are in
attendance.
The Youth Conferences are held ahead of 26th July, 2018
Elections for Office of Mayor of Lusaka City.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia prescribed Thursday
26th July, 2018 as the
date on which to hold the Mayoral, District Council
Chairperson’s elections in Lusaka, Chilanga, Chasefu,
Chipangali, Kasenengwa,
Lumezi, Lusangazi and Chifunabuli districts and By-Elections
in six (6) Wards.
The youth in Zambia constitute approximately 60% of the total population and in recent years the youth have been
involved in wrong vices especially during by-elections which
have recently been characterized by violence mostly
perpetrated by political parties.
The 2011 election campaigns were characterized by hate
speech, name calling and violence in some parts of the
country.
By-elections in some cases have recorded a
number of violent clashes with the worst being in
Mufumbwe in 2010 and the by-election in 2012 Livingstone
in 2012 which the Commission postponed due to violence.
The Commission therefore sees the need uphold youth
sensitization programmes which were conducted just before
the 2011 tripartite elections.
The Commission has also noted
the importance of being proactive, by scaling up youth
sensitization in areas where by-elections are being held.
Given the fact that the youth constitute a large percentage of
the population and voter register, there is need to ensure
that they participate in the governance of the country
instead of being used as tools of violence. Therefore, it is
important that youths from all walks of life are targeted in
these youth campaigns.
The Commissioner said the objectives of this youth conferences are to; facilitate a platform where young cadres from different
political parties can meet and dialogue; create an opportunity for young people to ask questions
and know more about the electoral process; instill confidence among young people about the benefits
of their participation in the electoral process and make them
realize that they are an important stakeholder in the
political processes of the country; educate the youth on the electoral process; educate the youth on the consequences of violence and the
need to avoid it at all costs
Finally,
“I wish to say that the campaign for non-violence will
not be complete if the very people that are engaged in the
actual violence are not given a platform to talk to each other
on the need to look at each other as brothers and sisters
even if they belong to different political parties. Youths
always air out their disagreements disapprovals and
frustrations by rushing to the streets to throw stones at
members of other political parties and sometimes at
innocent people.
It is therefore, imperative for the various youth groups that
are represented here today to take their roles seriously,” Justice Mushabati said.
Justice Mushabati reiterated that the
information that will be acquired from the conference should be
shared with other youths in the respective political parties, civic organisations and churches.
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