VIOLENCE AHEAD OF BY-ELECTIONS, SPONSORED BY UPND – DR. M’MEMBE
By Correspondent Reporter
UPND leaders are responsible for the violent conduct of their cadres and supporters experienced sofar, Socialist Party president Dr. Fred M’membe has charged.
Dr M’membe said, said the ugly scenes in Serenje are a clear testimony how thirst the UPND is for blood.
“Please don’t believe or trust whatever the UPND leadership says about them being against political violence. They support, encourage, and sponsor the violence of their cadres and supporters. these are individuals, a group of people whose thirst for blood is clear in the manner they conducted themselves,” he said.
Dr. M’membe said the UPND leaders were selective in their condemnation of political violence, and that they only spoke out against the violence of their political opponents, when on the other side they keep encouraging their members to be violent.
He said what happened in Serenje and Chililabombwe was nothing as such ugly faces of violence will be used to intimidate others.
“They certainly don’t like the violence of their political opponents and are truly against it. But they have no problems with the violence of those who belong to them, who support them and campaign for their party.”
Dr M’membe also cited recent incidents of violence allegedly perpetrated by UPND cadres, including an attack on Patriotic Front (PF) leaders who were attending church in Chililabombwe.
He said, “Yesterday, UPND cadres were mobilised and transported to a Catholic Church in Chililabombwe, where PF leaders were worshipping – among them Mr Chishimba Kambwili, Mr Bowman Lusambo and Mr Richard Musukwa – to attack them. This disgusting conduct was strongly condemned by the parish priest. There isn’t even a hypocritical condemnation of this barbarism from the key UPND leadership. Why?”
He said UPND cadres attacked his party’s supporters in Serenje and looting their campaign materials and foodstuffs.
Dr. M’membe said sadly instead of allowing police to do their work in finding perpetrators, UPND leaders had put pressure on the police to arrest and charge people who were attacked, leaving the attackers at walk free.
“Why are UPND cadres untouchable by the police or seem to be above the law? It is because their violence is sponsored and supported by their leaders, who command the police and other law enforcement agencies, and to some extent the courts of law.”