THE Continental Leadership Research Institute says this year’s political campaigns should not be full of usual rhetoric of name-calling and insults, as seen in previous election campaigns.

The Continental Leadership Research Institute (CLRI) is a non-profit making non-governmental organisation that believes in research-based advocacy through working with different professionals and young people across Zambia.

The objective of the Institute is to promote initiatives that support democratic governance and sound leadership principles among youths.

CLRI executive director Mundia Paul Hakoola stated that his organisation is greatly concerned about political parties’ policy around the issue of fighting corruption.

“As we head to August 2021 polls, we are looking at all political players; we want to know what kind of policies have been put in place to inspire the Zambian people, in terms of the fight against corruption,” Hakoola said, in a statement.

“We believe that we cannot achieve meaningful development if there are no adequate policies and political will to fight corruption.”

He added that a weaker governance system allows looting of public resources and development aid.

Hakoola stated that all political parties which would participate in the August 12 polls ought to focus on issue-based advocacy, as they campaign.

“[They should] focus on policy interrogations and clearly state how they will fight corruption,” he stated, adding that such would signify a political party’s seriousness and capability to run a corrupt-free Zambia.

“We do not need the usual political rhetoric of name-calling and insults like in previous elections. The competition to save our people has to be measured with serious benchmarks of developmental indicators, and not street talk.”

Hakoola stated that to the governing PF, the CLRI hoped that President Edgar Lungu could show great commitment to combating corruption.

He stated that there could be no sustainable development in a country weighed down by corruption.

“In as much as we can have good revenue collecting systems from different sources such as ZRA (Zambia Revenue Authority) and other bodies that remit revenue to the national coffers, without policies and political will, the intended results for development cannot be achieved,” stated Hakoola. “We need clear policy framework on the fight against graft by all political parties and this is one of the benchmarks that Zambians will be looking at, for the 2021 elections.”