BALLY IS A POTENTIAL DICTATOR – LUSAMBO
…as he pleads with the EU to condemn UPND’s oppression of perceived political opponents
Lusaka, Tuesday, February 7, 2023 ( Smart Eagles)
As opposition political players continue with their lamentations against the conduct of the UPND government, former Lusaka Province Minister Hon. Bowman Chilosha Lusambo has told the #EuropeanUnion (EU) that President Hakainde Hichilema’s led administration is orchestrating a systematic crackdown of political freedoms.
This comes amid a heavy debate emanating from the arrest of PF presidential hopeful Dr. Chishimba Kambwili who is detained on an offense of unlawful assembly.
The arrest of Dr Kambwili has made many wonder why the New Dawn Administration is intolerant to divergent views.
And in his letter today, Hon Lusambo told the European Union Ambassador to Zambia Jacek Jankowski that the Head of State has worked hard to clamp down on his perceived political rivals.
He added that the President has been limiting politicians’ freedoms to mobilise and free expression.
The former Kabushi lawmaker told the Ambassador that he has been a victim of the rampant abuse of political freedoms on a number of occasions when he served as an MP as police stopped him from having indoor meetings with elected Councillors.
He also indicated that many opposition leaders have been harassed, arrested, tortured and detained for unlawfully long periods in police stations located far away from their families at the instruction of President Hichilema and those close to his office.
Hon Lusambo said the arrest of Dr Kambwili for alleged unlawful assembly for simply addressing a handful of youths who visited his home is the latest in a series of abuses that opposition leaders have faced at the hands of President Hichilema.
“Your Excellency, this administration has done a remarkable job in portraying to the international community that it is a supporter of democracy,” he said.
“During his address to the European Parliament in June last year, President Hichilema reiterated his administration’s commitment to put people’s interests, reforms, free media, the rule of law and democratic growth on the top of his political agenda. To the contrary, his administration is becoming increasingly intolerant, autocratic and speedily closing up space for political freedoms.”
Hon Lusambo warned that President Hichilema has all the ingredients to transform into a full blown dictator if left unchecked.
He charged that the Head of State is capable of taking away all the democratic gains Zambia has recorded since 1991 when the nation adopted a full multi party participatory democracy system of governance.
Hon Lusambo however demanded that the European Commission in Zambia publicly condemns the abuse of political freedoms taking place in the country.
“We also demand that the EU office in Zambia take steps to reprimand President Hichilema’s administration for its intolerance and failure to observe and respect human rights of opposition political leaders,” he said.
“Your Excellency, the Zambian people are expectant that your office will respond to our demands and help restore our democracy as you have always done since 1975 when the EU Delegation first opened its office in Zambia. Yours in defence of human rights and freedoms.”
#SmartEagles2023
