Former defense minister George Mpombo says the Chilanga Parliamentary by-election is cavorting in a Carnival of political violence due to the presence of morally depraved and half-baked nitwits.

Speaking to News Diggers! in an interview, Saturday, Mpombo said peaceful elections were not expected in a venom and virulence filled campaign atmosphere which was rampaging political goons.

“My thoughts on Chilanga by election are that there are issues to be resolved, a lot of issues. Chilanga by election seems to be Cavorting in Carnival of political violence due to the presence of morally depraved and half-baked nitwits deployed by political parties. You can never expect peaceful or orderly elections in a venom and virulence filled campaign atmosphere with rampaging political goons, the current intensity of partisan animosities has the capacity to eviscerate at our shaky and wobbly democracy as it robs the electorate to make an informed choice due to intimidation, mass hysteria and populist propaganda. The ECZ must not watch these deadly pathologies as a toothless bulldog but take decisive action to quickly restore electoral probity and transparency. All political parties must put on leash their marauding impis, as democracy is a shared enterprise,” Mpombo said.

Mpombo urged Zambians to protect their frail democracy.

“Further as Zambian we must strongly defend, preserve, protect and fortify our democracy through preservation of sound democratic ethos of free and fair elections. Our moral ambiguity and ambivalence towards democratic values must be jettisoned, then we can have a leadership that is predicated on transparency, accountability and incorruptibility. President Abraham Lincoln once said ‘Elections belong to the people’. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on fire and burn their behinds, then they will have to sit on their blisters,” he said.

And Mpombo said it was unfortunate that political leaders seemed to be preoccupied with useless quarrels at the expense of finding solutions to Zambia’s problems.

“Citizens need politicians who can debate on issues affecting the majority of Zambians and not on issues that will benefit a few. People have been reduced to the status where their wallets are just full of coins. The economy is performing poorly because of a few individuals who do not want to put the interest of the country first. The economy is in pieces. This is why people have no interest in politics nowadays. Political party leaders seem to be interested only in useless public quarrels. The Myopic quarrels and topics are taking over serious issues that should be discussed by all well-meaning Zambian. It is important for those people who are in government and those in the opposition to know that politics is about service to the people,” said Mpombo.

“The moment they will let their personal egos to control their political reasoning and sense of accountability, the country is then doomed. I honestly feel it is important for political players to start addressing important issues that affect Zambia aa a nation. For example, the economic direction of this country has put Zambians in unembellished economic awful trauma. And government must do the right things to change the situation. This is regime is responsible for the situation and they will be held accountable as government and leaders of our nation Zambia.”