South PF support July 26 holiday

DECLARING July 26, 2018 a public holiday is a good decision because it will improve voter turnout during the coming elections, a Patriotic Front (PF) official has saiG PF Southern Province information and publicity secretary Trymore Mwenda said the public holiday would accord more Zambians an opportunity to vote. He observed that it had often been argued that the voter turnout in Zambia was too low but with the public holiday in place, more people would be accorded a chance to vote. Mr Mwenda, who praised President Edgar Lungu for declaring July 26 a public holiday, said he was confident the move would enhance voter turnout on polling day. He noted that some employers would not have allowed their employees to go and vote on a working day. “We are elated that in his quest to enhance increased voter turnout on July 26, the Head of State decided to declare the polling day a national holiday. It is self-exemplary that granting workers the day off will give them the time to vote when they otherwise might not because some employers may not allow them to do so on a working day,” he said. He said elections provided an important opportunity for people to advance democratisation and encourage political liberalisation. Mr Mwenda said that it was imperative that people in areas where by-elections would be held, turned up in large numbers to appreciate their right to vote. He also explained that critical development efforts could not succeed without legitimate and democratically elected leaders at various levels of governance. “For an election to be free and fair, certain civil liberties, such as the right and time to vote, are required, and it is against this backdrop that President Lungu and the Electoral Commission of Zambia, realised this critical ingredient to good governance,” said Mr Mwenda. Mr Mwenda reiterated that President Lungu was a true democrat who understood that elections could be a primary tool to foster political openings and expand political participation. He was happy that President Lungu’s wise decision would help expand political participation in the country.