RAINBOW Party General Secretary Wynter Kabimba has described the police and Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) as toothless bulldogs especially when dealing with issues of political violence.

Mr Kabimba said the violence witnessed in Sesheke would have been avoided if the ECZ and police were operating accordingly.

He said the two institutions mandated to see to it that there were free, fair and peaceful campaigns had failed in their duties and let down the nation.

‘’We all know that the Electoral Commission of Zambia and the police service are toothless and that is the reason why we have continued witnessing political violence,’’ he said.

Mr. Kabimba said the police and ECZ had the power to control political violence but were not exercising their authority.

He said issues of political violence would have been a thing of the past had the two entities been diligent in their duties.

‘’The Police and Electoral Commission of Zambia are not exercising their authorities, hence, the continued cases of political violence even during mere by-elections,’’ he said.

And Mr Kabimba has charged that there is lack of political will in the fight against political violence.

He said political leaders did not have issue based messages for the people and focused on character assassination and violence as a way of intimidating one another.

The political leaders of these parties involved in political violence were aware of what was happening but were not just doing anything to stop their cadres from engaging in violence.

‘’We know the parties involved in political violence and their leaders as well but are not doing anything to stop the violence’’, he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Kabimba said his party had written to the church demanding that the latter should not interfere with the agenda that was agreed upon by political parties when they met in Siavonga on the national dialogue process.

Mr Kabimba said the church was selected to merely chair the national dialogue and not to put in their own agenda.

DailyNation