Disqualify vulgar politicians, says AVAP

THE Anti-Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) has called on Members of Parliament to criminalise tribal sentiments and hate speech uttered by politicians.

AVAP Copperbelt Coordinator Poster Jumbe said Zambians were not interested in listening to derogatory remarks, stating that all they needed was peace.

Mr Jumbe said in Kitwe yesterday that politicians should instead demonstrate that they were ready to improve the living standards of the people through development programmes.

“We want politicians to sell their manifestos to the citizens so that they can choose to vote for whoever they like. If you do not sell your ideas and what you will do to improve the living standards of the people in the country, no one will vote for you whether you use hate speech or not.

“Politics is all about the competition of ideas and that the people of Zambia have chosen democracy meaning that they will chose the person whose ideas they feel would make a difference,” he said.

Mr Jumbe said that Zambia was a democratic country whose peace must be guaranteed during an election and all the time.

He however said that AVAP was looking forward to a time when the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) criminalized and disqualified vulgar political leaders.

He said that the organization would not find pleasure to see some political parties being disqualified but that it was the only option if things got worse.