Bloodshed Makes No Sense, Jonathan Tells Zambian Presidential Aspirants

The Cable
Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria’s former president,
has urged political parties taking part in Zambia’s
general elections to refrain from violence and
accept the eventual outcome of the polls.
The general election is scheduled to take place
on Thursday.
According to a statement issued byIkechukwu
Eze, his media adviser, Jonathan made the plea
on Sunday at a press conference in Lusaka.
Jonathan, who is the head of the African Union
Election Observation Mission to Zambia,
appealed to Zambia’s political party leaders to
place the country’s interest over political
ambitions, warning them that it “makes no
sense” for them to be involved in bloodshed.
He advised those that may lose the elections to
be magnanimous, and to accept the results as
the will of the people of Zambia.
“Politicians going in for elective positions should
be open-minded about the outcome because
they can either win or lose,” he said.
“Politicians who want to play meaningful roles in
governance should realise that it is not about
them. Those who care only about themselves
should quit politics and begin to manage
personal businesses.
“Our states are not private enterprises. You
cannot be interested in governance without
sufficient interest in the affairs of the people. So
the interest of the country should come first as
politicians tick their priority boxes.
“This also requires politicians to accept the
outcome of genuine elections because of the
interest of the people. You cannot instigate
violence and mayhem on the one hand and
pretend that you are fighting for the people on
the other.
“It does not make any sense to get involved in
bloodshed, destroy properties, frustrate
businesses and collapse the economy in order to
win elections. Our advice is to put public interest
above other expectations by accepting the
results of elections.”
Jonathan observed that Zambia has had a
relatively smooth power transition since gaining
Independence from Britain in 1964.
He added that the pre-election environment was
conducive for a free and fair election.
“I believe that Zambia has served as the leading
light and shown good examples over the issue of
elections. I am convinced that the people of this
country will maintain this exemplary peace during
next Thursday’s general elections, ” he said.
Organisations such as the European Union,
African Union and other regional bodies have also
deployed contingents to monitor the election.
Electoral violence heightened during the
campaigns. About 6.6 million Zambians are
expected to cast thier vote.