THIRTY Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have formed a coalition called Vision 2011 aimed at fighting corruption in elections in Zambia with particular focus on the 2011 general elections.

Vision 2011 board chairperson Rodger Phiri said at the launch of the coalition in Lusaka yesterday that corruption had serious impact on the leadership-making process and it was among the major concerns in the governance of the country.

Mr Phiri who is National Association of Peasant and Small Scale Farmers (NAPSF) president said the degree of corruption practices during elections had risen to an unprecedented limit and needed concerted efforts like the coming together of CSOs to be overcome.

"The level of corruption during elections and various levels of society has given it a prominent position on the corruption perception index published by Transparency International and the best that civil society organisations can do is to come together and stop such practices," he said.

He said his organisation would support transparency and accountability as prerequisites for building a genuine and democratic culture where principles of good governance would be the order of the day.

Mr Phiri said his organisation hoped to achieve its objectives by embarking on a nationwide civic education programme to sensitise the general public on governance issues that affect them.

Vision 2011 executive director Patrick Mukosha said the main aim of the consortium was to provide a forum for NGOs working in election monitoring, civil education and human rights and provide a stronger lobby group in the development of democracy in Zambia.

Mr Mukosha said it was the duty of CSOs to educate the people on their rights by encouraging them to participate in the country's politics as a social structure for the common good of human society.

The Vision 2011 whose motto is 'striving to make 2011 be a turning point in the Zambian political arena' has drawn membership from the National Association for Peasant and Small Scale Farmers, the Evangelical Youth Alliance and the food and general supplies of Zambia.

Others are the Zambia National Marketeers Association, Labour and Human Rights Association and Liberty Christian Center.