By REBECCA MUSHOTA –

. KALABA

THE Government is disappointed that veteran politician and seasoned diplomat Vernon Mwaanga is reported to have made a Press statement on elections in which he concluded that Uganda’s February election was flawed.
Dr Mwaanga is reported in The Post newspaper of April 16 this year that people should restrain the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) from using the same printing company in Dubai that was used in the February election in Uganda because the ballot papers in the Ugandan election were pre-marked to favour President Yoweri Museveni.
The ministry of Foreign Affairs has since urged Dr Mwaanga and all political players to avoid mentioning other countries and their political processes when commenting on domestic political issues.
Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba said yesterday at a Press briefing that it was regrettable and sad that Dr Mwaanga named Uganda, a sovereign State, in a matter of domestic politics.
Mr Kalaba said the matter of the Ugandan election was still in domestic courts in that country and had not been verified or concluded.
“It is regrettable and sad that a veteran diplomat that we should be looking up to is the one to say something that degrades everything he has achieved,” he said.
Mr Kalaba said Zambia and Uganda enjoyed good bilateral relations which should not be jeopardised by unverified media statements.
He said it was not in conformity with good international practice to name other countries and bring into dispute those countries’ political processes.