UPND HAS WON A TROPHY OF SHRINKING DEMOCRATIC SPACE IN ZAMBIA – Brian Hapunda

UPND HAS WON A TROPHY OF SHRINKING DEMOCRATIC SPACE IN ZAMBIA

…..the country has reached an alarming stage in terms democratic dispensation, says Hapunda

Lusaka… Wednesday December 4, 2024

Socialist Party (SP) Chief Presidential Advisor Brian Hapunda says the UPND government has won a trophy of shrinking democratic space in the country.

Speaking when he featured on Hot FM Radio in Lusaka today, Mr Hapunda said in the three years the UPND has been in government, they have arrested more opposition political party leaders and members, more citizens, more critics as compared to the ten years of the PF goverment in office.

He said this goes to show that the country has reached an alarming stage in terms democratic dispensation.

Mr Hapunda lamented that there is no tolerance as anyone who speaks, is picked up by the police.

“Unfortunately our President Dr Fred M’membe has been in and out of police cells for speaking for the people of Zambia. He has been in police cells more than ten times. And many other political party leaders have spent much of their time in police cells and courts of law for trivial issues,” he said.

“We are calling upon the UPND government that they must do the correct thing. We have seen even the Western allies who supported the UPND have called out on human rights violations. This is unfortunate. President Hakainde Hichilema while in opposition said no one should be in police cells for more than 48 hours, but we have the Kaumba brothers who were in cells for more than 59 days. The clergy have been threatened for merely speaking for the people of Zambia like they called a Catholic Bishop a Lucífer by the UPND Secretary General which we believe is hàte speech. They have not apologized up to now.”

Mr Hapunda indicated that the popularity of the UPND and Mr Hichilema has drastically reduced because they have mistreated Zambians.