National Women’s Lobby bemoans electoral violence

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THE Zambia National Women’s Lobby (ZNWL) has registered disappointment at the continued incidences of violence during elections as witnessed during by-elections in Katuba Constituency.
ZNWL board chairperson Beauty Katebe said the monitoring of elections done by her organisation in Katuba Constituency revealed that electoral violence continued to rob the voting process of the true essence of democracy as some voters, especially women, kept away to avoid violence.
Ms Katebe said initial findings of the election monitoring indicated that acts of violence experienced in Katuba greatly contributed to apathy amongst voters, especially women, who shunned the process for fear of being caught up in scuffles.
“In a country where over half of the population is female, one would expect an equal, if not superior number of women turning out to vote but this was not the case as observed by our election monitors in the Katuba by-election,” she said.
She said in a statement in Lusaka yesterday that by-elections were held at great cost to the national treasury and acts of violence by competing political parties defeated the purpose for which they were held.
“We therefore urge the political parties to censure their cadres and stop the trend of transporting cadres from Lusaka to areas were by elections are being held, especially when the campaign period has elapsed. It is indeed sad that in this day and age people can stoop so low to resort to violence as a means of resolving disputes,” she said.
She said the ZNWL abhorred violence and would continue to condemn acts of electoral violence and political parties that encouraged such vices as they did not have the best interest of the Zambian people.
Northern Province Minister Freedom Sikazwe was beaten by suspected opposition political party cadres while voting was underway.

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