Church group calls for enhanced stakeholder involvement to address election violence in Zambia

The Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG) has emphasised the need for enhanced stakeholder involvement in addressing election-related violence in Zambia.

CCMG Programme Manager, Peter Mwanangombe, underscored the importance of the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s (ECZ) engagement in formulating an effective enforcement mechanism to combat the issue.

He highlighted this during the launch of Michigan State University’s Associate Professor Michael Wahman’s book, “Controlling Territory, Controlling Voters: The Electoral Geography of African Campaign Violence,” at the Southern African Institute for Policy and Research (SAIPAR) in Lusaka on Friday.

“There is also a need for a more serious approach towards addressing low-level election violence,” Mwanangombe stated.

He agreed that the stringent criteria for proving election violence often make it nearly impossible to nullify an election on these grounds.

Mwanangombe raised concerns about comparing violence under different regimes, warning that dismissing current violence could lead to its escalation over time.

He announced that CCMG would soon share insights on trends observed from 2021 to date, including by-elections, and their adverse impact on the democratic space.

Mwanangombe noted a shift in dynamics, highlighting that the ruling party was now increasingly associated with perpetrating violence.

He pointed out that the police have consistently appeared aligned with the ruling party, calling for multi-stakeholder engagement to find a viable solution.

Earlier, Wahman suggested that the Electoral Management Body (EMB) could significantly enhance its impact by exercising a more proactive role.

“This will potentially prevent loss of life through timely interventions, such as sanctioning contentious candidates during elections,” he said.

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