Foreign Voters’ should be treated like thieves – FDD

Antonio Mwanza

Antonio Mwanza

Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) spokesperson Antonio Mwanza this morning claimed that there is overwhelming evidence that the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) has registered foreign nationals for the forthcoming General elections and referendum on 11th August with the connivance of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).

“There is overwhelming documented evidence that the PF Government has registered Malawians whom they want to illegally vote in the forthcoming elections. We have challenged the Electoral Commission of Zambia to come clean on this very serious matter and they have lamentably failed to prove to us that they are not colluding with PF to manipulate the outcome of the 2016 general elections.” Mwanza said.

Mr. Mwanza who cautioned the ruling party from taking the Zambian people for granted said such actions threaten the peace of the country.

“We want to strongly caution PF that they should not take the people’s pacificism for granted. Peace does not fall from the sky. Peace has to be worked for. And what PF is doing is an affront to peace. They should never forget the fate of all those charlatans who have involved themselves in electoral chicanery. They may think that they are stars for now but the time of reckoning shall come. The wheels of justice may move too slow but they surely do move.” He said.

He urged opposition political parties to be vigilant and treat foreigners found voting like ‘any other thief.’

“All opposition parties (participating in this election) must be vigilant and carefully scrutinise the electoral process. You find a Malawian voting in our election, treat him as you may treat any other thief.”

Mr. Mwanza’s statement comes at a time when xenophobic sentiments based on false rumours triggered rioting and looting in Lusaka last month.

Almost two months ago,18 political party leaders attended a church brokered inter-party dialogue against political violence and hate speech organised by the three church mother bodies in Zambia the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) and the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) in March 2016.

The parties including the FDD represented by its president Edith Nawakwi committed themselves to not incite violence or use offensive language against one another.

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