By ANDREW MUKOMA
THE media is essential to democracy, and a democratic election is impossible without media, Project Support Learners Zambia (PSLZ) has observed. PSLZ Livingstone District Coordinator, Nyambe Mutete, said that a free and fair election was not only about the freedom to vote and the knowledge of how to cast a vote, but also about a participatory process where voters engage in public debate.
He said the electorate and other stakeholders needed adequate information about parties, policies, candidates and the election process itself in order to make informed choices. Furthermore, Mr Mutete said, the media was as a crucial watchdog to democratic elections, safeguarding the transparency of the process. In this vein, he said, his organization would support the protection of journalists in carrying out their duties adding that President Edgar Lungu’s warning on those that harass journalists was timely.
“Indeed, a democratic election with no media freedom, or stifled media freedom, would be a contradiction,” he said. Mr Mutete told the Daily Nation in Livingstone to mark the commemoration of this year’s World Press Freedom Day, that, in order to fulfil their roles, the media need to maintain a high level of professionalism, accuracy and impartiality in their coverage. He said that fair coverage of this year’s electoral process is dependent on the media performance.
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