SHIRINKED DEMOCRATIC SPACE IN ZAMBIA WORRYING* Lukashya MP
………. as Hon. George Chisanga says UPND did not form government ALONE but as an ALLIANCE with other political parties
Kelvin Sichizya in Kasama.
April 10, 2024- KASAMA- The United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) has a right to hold its rallies as planned in Kafue or elsewhere becuase it it an ALLIANCE of registered political parties
Lukashya Member of Parliament in Kasama George Chisanga says in 2021 the United Party for National Development (UPND) did not campaign as a political party, but as an ALLIANCE.
Speaking on Radio Mano in Kasama today, Mr. Chisanga who is also PF Chairman for Legal Affairs said the United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) does not need to be registered before it can hold rallies becuase it is comprised of registered political parties adding that there was no law stopping an Alliance from functioning.
He said claims by the police that Zambia lacks security hold no water adding that President Haakainde Hichilema has kicked off a Copperbelt tour for five (5) days during which his party as UPND would hold rallies.
He said the banning of rallies for the opposition was only meant to stop the former ruling party, the Patriotic Front (PF) and not security as the police claimed
He said the UPND had compromised institutions of governance such as the Human Rights Commission (HRC), the Electoral Commission Zambia (ECZ), unfortunately with the Judiciary as well and the National Assembly and many others to use them against other political parties such as the PF.
The PF Legal Affairs Chairman said UPND has dominated operations of the Registrar of Societies to change names of the PF office Bearers while it has completely destroyed the National Assembly where democracy had no space at all
He said the suspensions of the PF leadership in Parliament was unlawful saying the leaders such as Leader of the opposition in Parliament Hon. Brain Mundubile, Hon. Stephen Kampyongo who is supossed to be the Opposition Chief Whip and Hon. Anthony Kasandwe was simply meant to weaken and destroy the PF
Speaking on the Debt Restructuring, Mr. Chisanga said, yes, the PF borrowed to develop infrastructure especially in rular areas to reduce the development gap between the towns and villages the projects which he said the UPND government cancelled when it assumed power.
Why is Hichilema even waisting time campaigning on the Copperbelt when people there are very hungry and angry. What message is he going to give them, that he has failed to rule the country! Then what! People are hungry, people are sleeping hungry, but to him political selfishness is more important! It won’t help him as everything that goes up must come down! One day he won’t have the power to control the police like he’s doing now! Somebody else will be Controlling the police and you know what that means!