The United Party for National Development has accused President Edgar Lungu of blocking the party’s presidential candidate Hakainde Hichilema from campaigning for the August 12 general elections.
In a statement released to the media by the party’s secretary-general, Mr. Secretary General Batuke Imenda, the party said that they were disappointed with government institutions that are being used by President Edgar Lungu to block United Party for National Development (UPND) Alliance presidential candidate, Hakainde Hichilema, from campaigning for the August 12 general elections, adding that what these institutions are doing is an affront to the country’s democracy given that this is campaign period.
Mr. Imenda said that Mr. Hichilema has consistently been stopped from campaigning on the ground by Patriotic Front (PF) government machinery such as the Zambia Air Force (ZAF), the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) and the Zambia Police on claims of flouting the electoral code of conduct.
“It is disturbing that a day after Mr. Hichilema had flown to Solwezi where thousands of residents turned up to welcome him and listen to his message of hope, the government decided to revoke his permit to fly to various destinations, ” he said.
Mr. Imenda said that Mr. Hichilema was blocked from going to Rufunsa yesterday to distribute sanitizers and face masks while the police allowed Kambwili to campaign in Ndola and Luanshya.
“We are aware that President Lungu and his running mate will be campaigning in Kabwe and Kapiri Mposhi today. We will see what the Inspector General of Police will do going by the threats he was making yesterday. What kind of justice is this? We have always maintained that rigging is a process and the process has started,” Mr. Imenda said.
Mr. Imenda said that the PF government was clearly aware that the UPND Alliance was the only hope for the long-suffering Zambians, hence their insistence to block any efforts by President Hichilema from freely campaigning as enshrined in the Zambian Constitution.
“The actions by the PF through ZAF, ECZ, and Zambia Police to stop Mr. Hichilema from campaigning could be likened to George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ where the ruling party has more rights than the opposition and the rest of the Zambians.
“The action goes to show that the PF is afraid of losing the forthcoming elections and hence interfering in the operations of government institutions in a last-ditch effort to have an upper hand.
“As the UPND Alliance, we have since written to ZAF Commander Lieutenant-General, David Muma, Police Inspector-General Kakoma Kanganja, the ECZ and the European Union Elections Observer Mission in Zambia highlighting the unfair practices by the PF in the run-up to the elections.
“Blocking Mr. Hichilema from campaigning to would-be voters by state machinery is a clear violation of the electoral code of conduct. We will not relent in bringing economic emancipation to the Zambian people who have suffered untold misery from the PF regime,” Mr. Imenda said.
The UPND Secretary-General also called on the international community to take note of these developments and effect necessary steps.
It’s not even accusing. It’s something to see
The Supreme law of Zambia is the CONSTITUTION. Therefore, Statutory Instruments (SIs) that are contrary to the constitution are illegal. The Freedom of Assembly is superior to Covid laws. The Freedom of expression is superior to the POA.
tired of you always complaining mwe
Everyone within and outside zambia is watching. There is only so much that people can take and once it reaches boiling point then people power prevails such as the Arab uprising.
We have a problem with our leaders in UPND. We knew elections will come and we knew PF will do everything to frustrate our campaign and much to victory. What counter measures did we put in place . We definately knew they will stop HH from flying… what was our counter plan…ZERO? All we are doing is complain and complain. I know our leaders came up with kama strategy of hiding in the distribution of condoms( oh sorry !! face masks). But this ka stratergy though well thought of has been defeated….so what next? No flying , No dace mask distribution…..What next?
Crying babies.
When you were called to ammend constitution you absconded. You had the opportunity that time to stop the president from working during the campaign period . Now do not complain about Lungu hiding behind inspecting projects. You had the opportunity. Yo had the opportunity to stop the Veep from doing the same.
Mr. SAINT please note that Freedoms and Rights are not absolute and every clause in the CONSTITUTION is subject to scrutiny and challenge in COURTS OF LAW if you feel defrachised. In short everything is subjected to Ts and Cs (Terms and Conditions). For example Rights and Freedoms starts with you and ends up at where another person’s Rights and Freedom starts.
On the (SIs) and (POA) in 2016 we elected MPs to Parliament to go and AMEND and or REFINE the same and other Clauses but your MPs each time A BILL came for DEBATE they opted to walk out. IF what they are complaining about today had been tabled in Parliament then debated upon and refined, there would be nothing to cry about, but now its too late the HERO, always CRY BABIES.
I am not a lawyer …..but is there a legal process to redress what we are complaining about? For instance can our lawyers challenge in the courts of law the descision to stop HH from flying? Where are our lawyers? If we are being stopped from campaigning and we have proof can we go to court? We have Jack Mwiimbu, John Sangwa and now KBF. Why can they not put an urgent matter before the courts? Complaining all the time from the headquarters will not help us. They continue calling us cry babies….. May be that is what we are!!!!
#8Â Â upnd for Life
 July 28, 2021 At 5:03 pm
“I am not a lawyer …..but is there a legal process to redress what we are complaining about? For instance can our lawyers challenge in the courts of law the decision…..”
It will take 3 months to go anywhere ……
we are safe in the knowledge that Lungu and PF can not win any free and fair election , despite the claims of having delivered development……..
Lungu can not win any election without stealing and cheating….
.
@ #8. John Sangwa is not a UPND lawyer, he never has been.
He is a lawyer who desires that the constitution is followed, irrespective of who is involved.
Side note, why does the UPND bother writing IG Kanganja? Why bother writing ZAF?
Imenda is a very wrong choice for SG. The man says nothing sensible ever. He is lax and expects everyone else to get the job done.. just yesterday he was issuing warnings to his own supporters that they should field enough polling agents, the leadership vacuum is deep with this one.
Ushe what’s wrong with these UPND kanshi? so what was HH doing in Solwezi if that is not campaigning? seriously UPND need to dump their campaign manager because your strategy of crying foul when things are not going your way is just ridiculous. Surely is UPND the only Opposition party in the country? ECZ not the president is responsible for elections. These people are seriously desperate and it shows. You hired the wrong people on your team. You are already resorting to plan B.
Continue what you know best ECL this ECL… that… please tell your man to prepare his speech conceding defeat,..there is no where to hide for him…
The failures are really scared of HH
LET THE CAMPAIGN ALL THEY LIKE THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA ARE SICK AND TIRED
OF PF AND THEIR LIES
ALL OF A SUDDEN MR LUNGU IS OUT AND ABOUT
This man has really decampaigned HH big time…always complaining and issuing threats
The reason why hh being stop to campaign is because of his violence nature which they call FAKA… we know that Upnd’s violence was One of their major campaign tool. And sources within Upnd says that Upnd spent so much money strongly to Scheme violence campaigns. Sad that small political parties have been affected as well.
The problem is Hikienda is a coward if they block you flying be brave and fly anyway or take the road…your complaints wont take you anyway
Even if lungu manages to win……how can he claim to be the peoples president when he blocks others and clearly can not win any free and fair election ????
Pathetic
And yet the f00Iish motherfcuker hh was in northwestern province just last weekend campaigning and spreading covid. Parneeyo pako hh
And where are you getting all those pictures and videos of HH rallies being crowded by his perpetual fellow losers if you say he is not campaigning?.
Imwee even if all the tarred roads headed into your pit latrines you will still never appreciate.
Let’s wait and see
Read the statement please and watch some of these on-goings. Because of the large crowds he drew, starting from the airport when he flew to Solwezi, (he even had to put his foot down to make this flight) HH’s permit to fly was removed subsequently. Everyone sane can see the pathetic injustice from the scared regime (not the first time in all the years) – with all their controlled state machinery. The IG Kanganja also reacted with his threats after PF cadres openly accused him of inaction against the UPND. It is i.diocy for some of you to accuse the UPND of only ‘complaining’. If they react there will be ‘force’ as stated by the IG – and then counter force, for which you will again accuse the UPND of violence. What kind of thinking or non-thinking do some of you exercise?
ZAMBIANS DONT DESERVE THE PF
B00T THEM OUT FOR GODS SAKE
HAVENT WE SUFFERED ENOUGH SINCE INDEPENDANCE
PF MUST FALL
UPND has started preparing grounds for petitioning elections. Insanity is doing the same things while expecting different results.
@1 Tommy I do agree that this is not an accusation but something that everybody is able to see(facts) including the concourt judges. Infact they have stopped HH from campaigning from 2016 and the excuse of covid-19 has made it worse. Leave politicians alone to campaign. Elections come once every 5 years. Covid-19 is here and we don’t know when it will disappear. And besides there are vaccinations now. Every citizen of this country has to responsible for their own health. Take precautions, get vaccinated and go to a rally to listen to what aspiring candidates have to offer. ECZ, the Police and indeed the PF Presidential candidate himself have exactly 2 weeks to redeem themselves by allowing free campaigns so the electorates can make informed decisions