POLITICAL parties will not be allowed to enter correctional facilities to campaign for the August 12 general elections but will only drop their promotional materials which will be distributed to inmates by officers.
Zambia has for the first time allowed incarcerated citizens to exercise their democratic right to vote.Zambia Correctional Service (ZCS) Commissioner General Chisela Chileshe said in an interview yesterday that physical contact between political party representatives and inmates will not be allowed.
Dr Chileshe said campaigns in correctional facilities will only be based on information dissemination.He encouraged political parties to use electronic media to reach out to inmates,especially that penitentiaries are equipped with television and radio sets.
“We don’t expect any group to attend to inmates. We are doing trainings for officers for them to know and understand that they will be receiving campaign materials for all political players involved in the August elections.
“Political parties should ensure that they leave their campaign materials at strategic points at correctional facilities so that they can verify that their campaign materials have reached the intended target,” he said.
Credit: Zambia Daily Mail
