THE Continental Leadership Research Institute (CLRI) says youths should learn to compete based on ideals and manifestos, not pangas and stones.

During the youth stakeholder meeting on peaceful elections organised by CLRI, executive director Mundia Hakoola said youths should learn from countries that had been torn apart by war because of political violence.

“To the leaders and officials of political parties, you should not protect any of your members involved in political violence so that bad seeds are uprooted from these political parties and our country at large,” he said.

Hakoola said the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) had a serious burden of responsibility to the Zambian people and ensure that elections were managed within the framework of the law.

He said failure to operate within the law and follow the benchmarks observed by civilised nations in the management of elections would make people vulnerable to any form of violence.

Hakoola said the institute recognised that mismanagement of elections had been one of the major causes of electoral violence across Africa.

“We can only end political violence through concerted efforts of all stakeholders involved in the electoral process at different levels,” he said. Hakoola said with support from the US Embassy, CLRI was conducting a series of youth stakeholder meetings across the country that were aimed at defusing potential violence among the youth.

He said the project would also provide the youths an opportunity to engage with key stakeholders in the electoral process such as the ECZ and the Zambia Police Service.

Electoral Commission of Zambia director in charge of electoral operations Royd Katongo said youths can best determine their interests in the electoral process.

Katongo said the youth made up the majority of Zambians and registered voters.

He said 56.33 per cent of the total registered voters on the current register were young people below the age of 35.

“As can be seen from these statistics on the Voters Register, young people in Zambia are the greatest present and future resource for this nation, as such, play a significant role in the electoral process,” Katongo said.

He noted that participation of youths in the electoral process had largely been relegated to political party supporters and mobilisers.

“The picture must not be the norm. The youth have a responsibility to change this narrative and picture by becoming peace ambassadors during elections,” said Katongo. “Young people have an obligation to denounce violence and choose peace, enhance tolerance over political tension and increased acceptance of election outcome at every level. This can be achieved by commencing a peaceful election dialogue across all political fronts led by young people. Young people are also key in demystifying myths pertaining to election management, promoting co-existence and tolerance of divergent views from different political players.”