Opposition political party threatens to sue National Broadcaster
On 3 May 2010, an opposition political party, the Patriotic Front threatened to sue Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) if it failed to meet its demand for the national broadcaster to provide fair and equal coverage to it and other political parties that are registered in the country.
In a letter addressed to the ZNBC Director General (DG) which was copied to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), Messrs Ellis and Company and Messrs W M Kabimba and company acting on the instructions of their client the PF alleged that ZNBC had continued to cover only members of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) contrary to the duty of a national broadcaster and to the provisions of the Electoral Code of Conduct of 2006.
“We act for the Patriotic Front in the above quoted matter. Our client is a registered political party in Zambia and one of the leading participants in the political affairs of the country including by-elections, it is our client’s instructions that although your corporation is a public institution, and contrary to the Electoral Code of Conduct which governs the management of our elections, you have continued to cover only members of the ruling MMD and government officials during elections to the exclusion of the PF and other political parties”, reads part of the letter.
According to a report in The Post Newspapers of 5 May 2010, they alleged that the policy of exclusion of opposition political parties and unfair coverage had greatly disadvantaged the PF and the other opposition parties.
The letter further alleged that citizens and voters could not follow the performance of these parties to enable them make informed decisions before and during elections. They alleged that the policy of exclusion by ZNBC was prejudicial to the interest of opposition political parties and undecided voters who depended on the information provided by the national broadcaster to make their democratic decision.
Messrs Ellis and Company and Messrs Kabimba and company said that they had been instructed to demanded an undertaking by ZNBC to ensure that they provide equal and fair coverage during the broadcasting of the news on television and radio in seven days failure to which the two had been instructed to commence legal proceedings in the Lusaka High Court to seek appropriate remedies. //End//
