By Masuzyo Chakwe
VETERAN politician Vernon Mwaanga says President Edgars Lungu’s call out to the Zambia Defence Forces to help the Zambia Police Service to police the electoral process sets a bad and unwelcome precedent for the future.
Mwaanga said this was the first time since independence in October 1964
that the military forces were being involved in policing the electoral process.
In a statement, Mwaanga said violence of whatever form or shape was barbaric and totally unacceptable.
He said the escalation of political and election related violence in the recent past, taints the image of the country in the eyes of the world and discourages international investors.
“It undermines our hard earned democracy, which is in sharp decline.
The two major political parties – PF and UPND – recently signed a Peace Accord. But even before the ink had dried on their signatures, inter-party violence erupted,” he said.
“Sadly, this accord did not include an independent monitoring mechanism for the accord, to name and shame those who breach the body and spirit of the accord. We have witnessed party cadres forcibly removing election posters of opponents, cadres in hired buses and trucks wielding pangas and other dangerous weapons, roaming our streets with aggressive intent.”
He said the freedom and confidence with which they display and show off their machetes and other dangerous weapons was alarming.
Mwaanga said cadres attack and burn offices of political opponents with impunity.
He said this new culture of violence was alien to Zambia, which used to be an oasis of relative peace.
Mwaanga said elections were a process and not a single event.
“They provide the citizens with an opportunity to exercise their Constitutional right to freely choose their President, member of parliament and local councillor every five years. Elections do not represent war. They are a competition of ideas. They offer candidates an opportunity to tell the voters what solutions they are offering citizens for the problems the country is facing and they are many,” he said.
He said the economy was facing very serious problems, which had been exercabated by the pandemic.
“The kwacha had been in decline – not withstanding recent sudden gains made by the Kwacha against major world currencies, which at best are artificial: inflation has been rising at an alarming rate, which is eroding incomes of citizens, particularly those in the lower income brackets, who are struggling to put food on their table;: high unemployment, particularly among young people; high levels of corruption, which is making citizens poorer, as leaders, who had virtually nothing five years ago, now have unexplained wealth; many government hospitals and clinics don’t have medicines; prices of essential commodies are sky rocketing; government retired civil servants wait for years for their benefits and some die even before they receive their benefits. Now civil servants are being offered a ‘debt swap’, which will most likely end up into a ‘debt trap’. The national debt has reached unsustainable levels, which has led to default in debt repayments. This list is not exhaustive, but merely indicative,” he said.
Mwaanga said there were serious questions being raised regarding the uneven election campaign space and suspicious gadgets being brought on hired aircraft from Dubai, for which no credible explanation has been provided by the Electoral Commission of Zambia.
He said in an atmosphere where politicians do not trust each other, it creates justifyable suspicion.
Mwaanga said it was undeniable that the current politicians had created a toxic environment never seen before.
“Now President Edgar Lungu has decided to call out the Zambia Defence Forces to get involved in helping the Zambia Police Service to police the Electoral process. This is the first time that the military forces are being involved in policing the Electoral process since independence in October 1964. It sets a bad and unwelcome precedent for the future,” he said.
“Part of the reasons for the toxic environment have to do with the irresponsible zealots, who have been making irresponsible tribal and hate speeches, who have gone unpunished. This is not the Zambia we fought for. This is not the Zambia we want. The people of Zambia must remain united in upholding the spirit of One Zambia, One Nation’, which has served our country well since independence. Love, mutual respect and unity have hallmarks of the Zambia we want to bequeath to future generations.”
He said tribalism and hatred were evil and enemies of progress.
“We must continue to reject them and pour scorn on them. When all is said and done, we would like to have free, fair, credible and democratic elections, which meet acceptable international standards. The voting and tallying process must be observed at each and every stage, right up to the announcing results, which must genuinely represent the wishes of the people of Zambia,” he said.
“This is desirable so that the people of Zambia can have confidence in the electoral process, which is now at a low ebb. Elections will come and go, leaders will also come and go, but as Zambians, it is our individual and collective duty to play our part in maintaining peace and tranquility in our country. This is the role all responsible citizens must play. Our law enforcement agencies must also play their part by dealing firmly those who threaten or engage in violence in equal measure regardless of political or other affiliations.”