Mayoral by-election campaigns must be issue-based

THE electorate will be voting for the Lusaka mayor on July 26, 2018 during the by-election.

The by-election was caused by the death of Lusaka mayor, Wilson Chisala Kalumba after an illness.

Many candidates from different political parties will be contesting the forthcoming by-election later this month.

Miles Sampa of the Patriotic Front, Pastor Kangwa Chileshe of the United Party for National Development and former member of the Shatel singing duo, Saboi Imboela and among others are some of the contenders in the by-election.

Prior to any election, campaigns take the centre stage as various political parties campaign for their candidates.

They do this in a bid to market their potential candidates through the party manifesto.

From time to time again, campaigns have been characterised by violence perpetrated by some political cadres.

Innocent people have been maimed and in some instances slain during political campaigns.

President Edgar Lungu named PF and UPND as the major culprits of political violence hence, the need for the political parties to discipline their violent cadres.

It is imperative therefore for the political parties participating in the by-election to focus on issue-based campaigns.

Zambia is known as the beacon of peace and unity. Why then should people kill one another just because of political campaigns?

Zambia is for all Zambians. People will vote for their preferred mayoral candidate on the polling day.