Mangochi Lutende Constituency aspiring parliamentarians have committed to conducting peaceful campaigns for the September 16 elections.
The commitment, that seeks to address political tension in the district, was made on Friday during a peace dialogue meeting organised by the Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency (Csat) in Traditional Authority Namabvi.
It was part of Csat’s ongoing project in Mangochi the German Foreign Office funded project called: Strengthening Meaningful Youth Participation in the Democratic Process.
Among the aspirants who endorsed the peace accord were People’s Development Party aspirant Tamimu Jepason.
“We may differ politically, but we share one constituency and one people. I am committed to a clean, issue-based campaign that promotes peace and unity,” said Jepason.
United Democratic Front’s Francis Billiati echoed the sentiment, saying, “Violence has no place in democracy. This accord is a crucial step in ensuring that the people of Mangochi Lutende vote freely and safely.”
Louis Malukula of the Democratic Progressive Party stressed the importance of engaging youths constructively.
“Young people are often used as tools for violence. This initiative helps redirect their energy toward positive civic participation,” he said.
Meanwhile, UTM presumptive candidate Isaac Kazembe declared that he will “honour the peace pledge throughout my campaign.”
CSAT executive director Willy Kambwandira welcomed the commitments, calling them a vital step in defusing electoral tensions in Mangochi, a district historically marked by political unrest.
“We have identified lack of transparency in party primaries, the imposition of unpopular candidates and intimidation among rivals as major triggers of political violence,” Kambwandira said.
“This peace accord is timely and essential. We urge all candidates to uphold it in both word and deed.”
