INFORMATION and Media Permanent Secretary Thabo Kawana says he is aware that some opposition political parties are planning to illegally hold rallies in Lusaka and on the Copperbelt today as a way to gain sympathy votes.

And Kawana has urged all political players not to get excited to the point of vowing to kill or be killed in the name of elections, saying these are neither the first nor the last polls that the country is holding.

Speaking during a press briefing, Monday, Kawana said he had information that a certain political party was planning to hold rallies in areas where it was not supposed to be according to the campaign timetable.

“Also, we want to state that we are aware that some political parties that are not supposed, for example, to hold their campaign activities in Lusaka tomorrow (Tuesday), being the last day, are intending to hold such activities both in Lusaka and the Copperbelt at the same time, even when the timetable clearly stipulates where they ought to be,” he said.

“So we just want to take the opportunity again to appeal to all stakeholders and players in the political sphere that let us continue to follow the timetable as was agreed. Remember, the timetable was not imposed upon political players but was agreed with political players. So, if you are supposed to be in Northern Province, be in Northern Province, not in Lusaka. If you’re supposed to be in Western Province, according to the timetable that you agreed to be in that province, then be there and not in Lusaka. So, those that are supposed to be in Lusaka are known, and those that are not supposed to be in Lusaka are equally known”.

Kawana said he was aware that this was a plan by the opposition to make a last appeal to voters in order to gain sympathy votes.

“So it will be very unfortunate to have political players that are not supposed to be in Lusaka tomorrow (Tuesday) to try to find themselves both in Lusaka and the Copperbelt, hoping that they will clash with the police because we are aware that that is the plan, so that then they can have a last-minute appeal to the voters to get sympathy votes that they are being harassed and democratic space has shrunk,” he said.

“So ours is just to appeal to all political players, whether it is the UPND, whether it is the Heritage Party, whether it is the Republican Party, or whether it is UNIP, whether it is MMD, or even NRPUP. Even NRPUP should understand that they too are part of the programme that shows where NRPUP will be tomorrow as we close the elections”.

Kawana reminded political players not to get overexcited about the elections to the point of wanting to kill or be killed, saying voting comes and goes.

“We must be quick to remind ourselves and each other that these are not the first elections that we are having as a country, neither are they the last. So there is no need for us to get excited. There is no need for us to even vow that we have put legs, arms, necks, backs, hair, heads in this election to a point of being ready to kill and ready to be killed. These are just elections. The competition of ideas. Political parties have been given the opportunity to present their manifestos to the people, and now the people are deciding who to vote for. There is no need for anybody to be killed or for anybody to kill. And therefore, we condemn any such statements coming from any political circles,” said Kawana.