VERNON Mwaanga has observed that this Thursday’s elections will not meet international standards of free and fair because the ruling party has been blocking the opposition from campaigning freely.
On Saturday, opposition UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema was denied air permit by the Zambia Air Force to land on the Copperbelt for campaigns.
According to security wings, President Edgar Lungu was also on the Copperbelt, so having two rival parties could have caused a clash.
But Mwaanga, a freedom fighter and veteran politician, condemned the PF manoeuvres.
“The Copperbelt is a large province, which has the capacity to accommodate President Lungu and other opposition leaders to campaign peacefully in different parts of the same province. During the days of the original MMD government, we used to campaign in the same province with the late president of PF Mr Michael Sata,” he said in a statement. “Where has the law come from which says that when the Republican President is campaigning, no other presidential candidates should campaign there? This is absurd, is one of the reasons why these forthcoming elections, cannot and will not meet international standards of free, fair, transparent and democratic.”
He said despite the campaigns being subdued by the pandemic, the opposition have also been treated unfairly by the ruling party.
“Election campaigns have been subdued due to restrictions. We have also witnessed the grossly unfair treatment of opposition leaders, particularly the UPND Alliance presidential candidate Hakainde Hichilema and his Alliance partners who have from time to time been denied air service permits to fly to various provinces in chartered private aircraft,” Mwaanga added. “Only today (Saturday), I saw a twit by Alliance presidential candidate Hakainde Hichilema, to the effect that his rightfully issued air service permit to fly to the Copperbelt had been suddenly cancelled on grounds that the President, Edgar Lungu would be campaigning on the Copperbelt.”
Mwaanga however encouraged citizens to turn up in large numbers and vote.
He also rubbished sponsored opinion polls which he said had no basis at all.
“Our citizens who registered as voters should peacefully turn-up in large numbers and exercise their constitutional right to vote for their preferred presidential candidate, member of parliament and local councillor,” he said further. “Discredited sponsored opinion polls have been published, which must be totally ignored and treated with the contempt they more than deserve. This presidential election will be very close, but in the final analysis, this should be left to the voters and voters alone. The outcome should represent the genuine will of the people of Zambia.”
And Mwaanga said there should be no interference with the vote.
He also warned some presidential candidate who were planning to withdraw at the last minute and cause a postponement.
“Party polling agents must be alert and the same goes for monitors and international observers, who must ensure that there is no manipulation or interference of the electoral process right up to the announcement stage. There should be no attempt to interfere with the electoral process by anyone. ECZ must show a high degree of impartiality so that it enhances the confidence level of those taking part in the elections,” Mwaanga urged.
“There has been talk of some presidential candidates wanting to withdraw or resign from their political parties at the last minute and cause a postponement of the Presidential Elections. This would be irresponsible and dangerous. It would anger the voters and those responsible would be treated as traitors and would incur the wrath of the voters and the people of Zambia as a whole.”
He said ballot papers had been printed at high cost, so nothing should happen to disrupt the presidential elections on August 12.