By CHUSA SICHONE –

. KABIMBA

OPPOSITION political parties have resolved to hold peaceful campaigns ahead of this year’s general elections.
Rainbow Party leader Wynter Kabimba, however, clarified that the opposition political parties were not in any alliance.
The opposition political parties in question are the United Party for National Development (UPND), MMD, Rainbow Party, Alliance for Democracy and Development, People’s Democratic Party, Green Party, People’s Party (PP) and National Democratic Party (NDP).
This follows a meeting held at Courtyard Hotel in Lusaka on Friday attended by the political parties’ leaders and was chaired by former Non-Governmental Organisation Coordinating Council chairperson Beatrice Grillo and facilitated by veteran politician Vernon Mwaanga.
The political parties made the declaration in a communique read on their behalf by Mr Kabimba during a joint Press briefing at Courtyard Hotel in Lusaka yesterday.
The political parties also pledged to desist from hate or tribal utterances in their conduct but would instead prioritise peace, love and unity in diversity.
“We commit ourselves to issue-based campaigns, which will be devoid of personal attacks and further urge other political parties to make and commit themselves to the values contained in this communique,” the communique read in part.
They vowed to press for a transparent, open and accountable manner of managing the August 11, 2016 general elections aimed at changing the country’s political and electoral landscape besides pledging to fight against all forms of public resource abuse.
The political parties also demanded for the timely invitation and early arrival of international election observers as well as for the Electoral Commission of Zambia to consider funding polling agents accredited to political parties.
The parties have further vowed to collectively and individually demand for the immediate review of the Electoral Act, Public Order Act, among other legislations, with a purpose of aligning them to plural politics and making them responsive to sound democratic practices.
They also demanded for a media code of conduct which would guarantee equal and balanced media access and coverage by all political parties and pledged to liaise with the media in preventing and condemning violence and harassment of journalists before, during and after the elections.
The political parties resolved to also push for the enactment of the Access to Information Law besides praising the Media Liaison Committee on its stance against the public media.
Dr Mwaanga said Friday’s meeting was called to discuss the country’s political and election environment, adding that more similar meetings were expected to be held in future and all political parties were free to attend.
The opposition political party leaders who attended and spoke at yesterday’s joint Press briefing besides Mr Kabimba were Hakainde Hichilema (UPND), Mike Mulongoti (PP) Green Party’s Peter Sinkamba and Tentani Mwanza of NDP.