VIDEO: M’MEMBE BRIEFS EU DELEGATION ON ZAMBIA’S ‘UNPRECEDENTED SHRINKING’ DEMOCRATIC SPACE

M’MEMBE BRIEFS EU DELEGATION ON ZAMBIA’S ‘UNPRECEDENTED SHRINKING’ DEMOCRATIC SPACE

Lusaka, Wednesday (January 31, 2024)

Socialist Party – SP President Fred M’membe has hosted a delegation of the European Union Elections Follow-up Mission which is meeting stakeholders ahead of the 2026 General Election.

Addressing the delegation at SP Secretariat in Lusaka’s Garden Compound, Dr. M’membe said the 2026 General Election will not be free and fair because of shrinking democratic space.

“The EU observed the 2021 General Election. I was worried about the conduct of the UPND in those elections. In areas where they were strong, it is not a secret, there were serious malpractices. They drove out Polling Agents from other political parties in Southern, Western and North Western Provinces and Southern part of Central Province. They were remaining themselves alone. When former President Edgar Lungu said elections were rigged, no body took him serious. But indeed there was some serious malpractices by the UPND. I understand that it was difficult to operate under the PF and some of the measures the UPND took could have been justified at that time but my worry was, are they going to carry those practices into Government? And indeed they have done so,” he said.

Dr. M’membe said from the first by elections UPND Administration conducted in 2021, violence and other malpractices continued.

“To this day such things are deepening. And if we continue on this path, it will be impossible to hold free and fair elections in 2026. It is not possible even now to hold free and fair by-elections. I have been a participant campaigning in those elections myself. This is not the atmosphere under which you can hold free and fair elections.

The SP President said it is worrying that the institutions of governance such as the Judiciary, Police and the Electoral Commission of Zambia-ECZ, are losing credibility.

Dr. M’membe said Zambia and his party in particular is ready to work with the EU to maintain peace.

“If elections become less and less credible, people will turn to themselves. Elections are not the only way of choosing leaders,” he said.

The Opposition Leader said people can choose leaders in many other ways if elections lose extreme credibility but that his party sincerely believes that the best way to choose leaders is through elections.

“All other forms of choosing leaders are not sustainable and do not lead to stability. All the time, they lead to instability. Those who want a peaceful world cannot be opposed to free, fair and peaceful elections. We do not want you to send us aid because we are paralyzed by instability. We want you to help us to hold free and fair elections that are peaceful,” he said.

Dr. M’membe said the clear path Zambia has taken will lead to serious problems in the 2026 General Election as opposition are not allowed to hold meetings.

“You cannot have a situation where opposition political parties cannot even hold the smallest of meetings. And you want them to participate in an election? It’s like in a soccer competition where you do not allow other teams to train but you just want them to come and enter the tournament while the other team is training,” he said.

The SP President said President Hakainde Hichilema has been holding meetings and rallies from the time he ascended to power in 2021 while no opposition leaders are allowed to do so.

“Hichilema is campaigning for 2026 but we are not allowed to do the same,” he said.

Dr. M’membe said the UPND has perpetrated violence against the opposition political parties but that they are not allowed to defend themselves.

“Again when all these institutions fail, people will turn to themselves and look at what they can do for themselves. That is not a recipe for good governance and stability. It’s a recipe for instability,” he said.

The Opposition Leader said his party took the European Union Elections Follow-up Mission seriously.

“We highly welcome your presence in our country and much more so your visit to our office. The last time I met your delegation, I asked that why do you summon us to your offices? Come to our little huts also and meet us in our own offices. I am grateful that request has been responded to favorably,” he.

This is contained in a statement issued by SP Director Media Brian Hapunda.

Dr Fred M’membe
WE NEED THE EU TO HELP US HOLD FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS

We were honoured yesterday to be visited by an EU delegation and have a dialogue around issues affecting our electoral system. During the meeting, we briefed the delegates about the shrinking democratic space under the UPND government.

We told them how worried we were during the 2021 elections, how we were worried about the conduct of the UPND in opposition in those elections. In areas where they were very strong, it’s no secret that there was serious malpractice. They drove out polling agents from other political parties. In Southern Province, Western, North Western, and the southern part of Central Province, they were alone.

When Edgar Lungu complained that elections were being rigged, nobody took him seriously. But indeed there was some serious malpractice by the UPND, including violence. A PF member called Kungo was killed in Solwezi by the UPND and to this day there have been no arrests.

At the time, we understood that perhaps it was because the PF also failed to conduct themselves well when they were in power. It was very difficult to operate as an opposition part and some of the measures the UPND took might have seemed justifiable at that time.

But our worry was whether they going to carry those practices on into government. And indeed, they have done so. From the very first set of by-elections conducted in 2021, violence and other malpractices continued and are getting worse.

If we continue on this path it will impossible to hold free and fair elections in this country, in fact it’s not possible to hold free and fair elections now. I have been a participant in those by-elections, campaigning, and this is not the atmosphere under which you can hold free and fair elections.

What is also worrying is what is happening to the institutions that we depend upon. Their credibility is going. The credibility of the judiciary has gone as far as elections are concerned and it’s the same with the police and the Electoral Commission.

We have suggested they reassess themselves because of their diminishing credibility.

There was a time when we relied on EU voices. There was a time when we relied on what they condemned, but that is diminishing. They are increasingly being seen to have double standards. Things that were supposed to come out in the Zambian elections did not do so.

Do we want to work with the EU? Yes, we want to work with them to maintain peace because if our elections become less and less credible, people will turn to themselves. Elections are not the only way to choose leaders. People can choose their leaders in many other ways, but we sincerely believe the best way to choose leaders is through elections.

We don’t want the EU to send us aid because we are paralysed by instability. We want them to help us hold free and fair elections that are peaceful.

Fred M’membe
Socialist Party President