Electoral Commission of Zambia(ECZ) Director Dan Kalale has observed that some sections of the media in Zambia have breached the Electoral Code of Conduct (ECC) during election campaigns with impunity through irresponsible reporting.
Mr Kalale said this in Livingstone today when he presented a paper on challenges in the management and enforcement of the electoral code of conduct at the ongoing four days workshop at Fairmount Hotel.
The workshop organized by ECZ and sponsored by the United Nations Development Programmes has been convened to review the Electoral Code of Conduct.
The participants include political parties, the media, civil society, the police and other interest groups.
“The irresponsible reporting by some sections of the media has resulted in the instigation of violence during elections, Mr Kalale said.
He said while the code directs all media to provide fair and balanced reporting for all candidates during campaigns, the situation has not been so.
On political parties, Mr Kalale said while the code holds them and their candidates to strict adherence though attestation of declaration of compliance when filing nominations, political cadres on the other hand seemed to be remote to the code.
He said this is evident in election violence orchestrated mainly by cadres, popularly known as foot soldiers.
The ECZ director said violence is rarely perpetrated by candidates but by their supporters and this situation is responsible for the escalation of violence in the recent by elections.
Mr Kalale said it is the hope of the commission that when the new constitution is put in place, the powers of ECZ will be expanded in enforcing the code.
And University of Zambia School of mass communication lecturer Eustace Nkandu called for the privatization of the public media to create a level playing field in the coverage of election candidate.
Presenting a paper on challenges faced by the media in adhering to the electoral code of conduct, Mr Nkandu observed that ownership of the media was critical in providing a level playing field.
[ ZANIS ]
Hands up to The Post Newspapers, they give the fairest and widest coverage. They cover Sata, HH, Miyanda, RB, Kunda and all the MMD bootlickers during the campaigns. Even what FTJ says in favour of RB covered – sometimes as headline or front page or an inside story. Even their enemies are covered, although get some beating in the editorial, which is the privilege of every newspaper. But honestly speaking, the Post covers everybody. The problem with some people is that they want to be in the headlines. What matters is that what you are saying is covered in the newspaper, whetter it is at the back, inside or front matters
Dan Kalale you are the biggest culprit in all this. Lesa akapingula.
Dan the cheater now trying to be Holy. Was he at Church last weekend? maybe that is why he now wants to speak as a Born Again Electoral manager.
@1 MAN OF ACTION SINCE WHEN DID POST EVER COVER HH, IF THEY COVER RB AND GK ITS BCOS THESE TWO ARE NEWS MAKERS AND A NEWSPAPER CANT RUN WITHOUT REPORTING ON THESE. MMEMBE HAS ASSIGNED A GUTTER SCRIBE TO COVER SATA DAILY BCOS HE IS EMPLOYED AS PF VUVUZELA.
WHOM DO THE TIMES OF ZAMBIA, DAILY MAIL AND ZNBC COVER? I HOPE THEY ALSO HAVE FAIR COVERAGE OF ALL POLITICAL PLAYERS. IF THEY DO NOT, LET THEM CHANGE FOR THE BETTER INFORMATION OF THE PUBLIC IN THE COUNTRY
It’s quite obvoius from what this MMD cadre Dan Kalale is saying that he thinks only the MMD-owned and controlled media – ZNBC, ZANIS, Zambia Daily Mail and Times of Zambia – report responsibly. How any sane person can call the trash that is daily churned out by the government media “responsible” let alone fair reporting is beyond me. And this from the director of the eclectoral commission!! My heart bleeds for my country.
Tragic thing is that people like Kalale do not even have the b@*lls to name the so-called “some sections of the media” they keep talking about because if they did they would only be exposing their incredible stup*idity as facts would not be on their side.
#4 Goliath, The Post has assigned a scribe to all these big political leaders. One Post reporter always flies with RB, one follows Sata, one follows HH whether physicallly or by phone. The problem as I said is: let us not mistake being in the front page headline as the meaning of being covered. Just a day before yesterday the Post reported HH’s response to Kunda’s attacks on him from Namwala, where he also assured everybody that the PACT is intact. The Post reports even what it does like, like the rubish from Chiluba, Kunda, RB and other MMD bootlickers.
Dan is OP-Chapwa
Dan is usleless person who will bring war in Zambian. The chap is so corrupt with MMD stu.pidity. MMD always breaches the code of electrol conduct but this useless Kalale does nothing to stop the MMD.
Can any Zambian take him seriously…no , he is known as MMD cadre who will protect even the open sins of MMD.
Shame on Kalale. Shame on him.