ECZ officially suspends campaign rallies, says election date won’t change

THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) says there shall be no campaign rallies allowed going forward in order to reduce the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. And the Commission says the 2021 general elections will go ahead as planned on August 12, adding that the possibility of postponing polls was reported out of context. On Wednesday, during the political parties Liaison meeting, Zambian National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI) director Professor Victor Mukonka said if the COVID-19 cases went beyond, the Institute may recommend stringent restrictions which can include a lockdown, disaster declaration and suspension of elections. But speaking at a media briefing, Thursday, ECZ chief electoral officer Patrick Nshindano said the issue was blown out of context. He added that…...