The Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has expressed concern over reports that the police restricted the United Party for National Development (UPND) president HAkainde Hichilema to hold campaigns in Chipata district in Eastern Province.
LAZ President Abyudi Shonga said the law allows all candidates that have successfully lodged their nominations to freely access the electorate.
In a press statement issued to the media, Mr Shonga stated that according to the Electoral Process Act of 2016, the campaign period is to be held three months prior to elections, and candidates are free to access the electorate in order to canvas for votes.
“It is common knowledge that the period was declared by the Electoral Commission of Zambia in line with the provisions of section 28(3) of the Electoral Process Act, 2016,” he added.
Mr Shonga has since urged the police to desist from hindering any political party to access the electorate, during this period to enable the people to choose their leader.
“LAZ encourages the police to carry out their functions professionally and bow only to the law,” he said.
He said the police must allow free campaigns subject to adherence to the COVID-19 health guidelines.
Below is the full statement
I don’t remember since multiparty democracy, any other time that the opposition were restricted or even stopped from campaigning after ECZ has declared official campaign period! Our own values in the constitution is good governance, where is it? Covid affects everyone but those in ruling are busy going round and others are restricted. Where is ECZ? May the president can go about with no hinderance but what about the running mate and those hired? ECZ really? Is this fair refereeing?
What an opportunity for Zambian to deny PF and UPND the Votes. So we can put Interim president someone who’s neutral so we can deal with corruption once and for all.
The country is Ready for interim president.
HH is danger to public health. His movements must be restricted. LAZ is not telling us Constitution allow restriction.
PF IS WINNING
RB never blocked Sata but then again most people in the Lazy Lungu camp now were never there when Sata was campaigning…most are chancers with so much to lose and nowhere to go!!
@Joseph mwansa, stop living in the past. We have new laws in 2021. The past remained with old laws and now ECZ has power to stop campaigns; most importantly, freedom of movement is not absolute as laz wants to claim.
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That’s the way to go Shonga. The law must be stated as it is but more importantly must be enforced. People need not obtain court orders where the law is very clear
The law unfortunately is double edged tool and that’s the trouble of enacting the law to fix others. UPND celebrated over the fall of bill 10 for they desired to create an atmosphere of confusion and eligibility case as one such racuna they targeted to exploit effectively denying the chance to work on Public order act. ECZ has banned public campaigns citing covid 19 but the President is immune to POA so he can use this loophole to campaign by distributing masks so the discretion lies with the Police. Its catch 22 and a lesson not to look at the law from partisan position.
Dictators don’t listen, the only language they understand is to kick them out of power.
You expect these PF cowards to listen. And a former Minister is still instructing Police on what to do and which opposition leader to block. As the European intelligence unit said, PF cant win a free and fair election, no, they cant
What I really find strange is the silence from these so called observer missions, they are quite and yet others are campaigning and others are stopped. So what does it benefit democracy when you come and issue a report after elections, and especially that your reports are just academic which can not even nullify the elections or punish perpetrators, as election observers this holiday you are having in Zambia can be better used
PF is a serious failed project, if you want to argue with me, mention the following inflation, exchange rate, reserves, GDP growth, unemployment, law and order, campaigning in public against ECZ guidelines,whilst others are not allowed , even their Presidential running mate is busy pulling water melon crowds
BORN TO KILL WHAT A SHAME
PF MUST FALL
9 Days to go….
In Zambia it’s all talk and no action or repercussions to breaking the law! “Obeying or Equality before the law” is just on the lips! PF is out to stay in power no matter the destruction of getting there! Forget the ECZ for it is complicit in intimidation of the electorate and diluting the electoral process through the dubious multiple issuance of “conduct guidelines” with bias! The police are not “professional” because they have been mixed with PF party cadres in their ranks! The situation is already been prepared for the Ugandan encore!
If RB was treating sata the same way that lungu is treating HH then Sata would have never become president and neither would lungu.
There’s irrefutable evidence that HH’s attempts at reaching voters are being blocked. It’s the reason the LAZ hv issued this statement. I suspect that only judges of the Constitutional Court, the PF and the Civil Aviation Authority would disagree.
The problem with UPND is that they sometimes behave like a patient who goes to see a Doctor with his/her own prescription of Medicine before the very Doctor diagnoses the ailment and then prescribes the right Medicine.
Whilst the Constitution allows for campaign period as per Electoral Act of 2016 under Section 28(3) is clear but it must be observed that it’s not a blank cheque or without hindrance but they are Ts and Cs which apply in form of (POA and Sis) attached and must be adhered to
UPND had an opportunity to refine the (POA) in Parliament under BILL 10 but they opted to walk out of DABATES and realised that they lost out upon discovering that after all BILL 10 was defeated without their VOTE. As a NATION we also lost out on the good intention of PF on the BILL OF RIGHT Bill again…
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HH and his UPND misled us and now they are swallowing the BITTER PILL of their own making. Even you LAZ you know it.
The Police, ECZ and others as the LAW stands today cannot regulate the sitting President from tours and making pronouncements on new of SI but can only watch in awe and wait for Election results. The only recourse is as you put it for “LAZ to encourage the police to carry out their functions professionally and bow only to the law,” which fortunately they are doing BY APPLYING the (POA).
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It also nice that as LAZ you have taken cognizant of the POLICE allowing free campaigns subject to adherence to the COVID-19 health guidelines which UPND doesn’t want, as in their proclamation they have stated “ NEVER RETREAT AND NEVER SURRENDER” WE MUST DEFEND OURSELVES as witnessed from the offensive WEAPONS the POLICE recovered in KANYAMA recently. UPND only wants RALLIES and HUGE crowds as form of campaigning. Ba HH ALSO WANTS TO ENJOY THE SAME PRIVILAGES AS THE INCUMBENT PRESIDENT. No you are not there yet
Try VIRTUAL CAMPAIGNS for a change AS drawing rented CROWDS is not winning the “ELECTIONS. OTHERWISE ALEBWELELAPO, PAMUPANDO”
The ka worst president on earth is scared, you are gone you ka useless theiving worst president on earth… Take tat ugly b1tch running mate with you to h3ll
ECL making a grave error by blocking HH from Campaigning. Indirectly HH is getting alot of sympathy votes for being harassed and being mistreated by Lungu’s controlled Police. Besides International Election Monitors and Observers will have no choice but declare these Elections not free,fair and credible. ECL doesn’t seem to realise rigged and disputed Elections have consequences on Zambia.
CONCERNED CITIZEN – You people are daft and lack integrity you keep mentioning Bill 10 as its was the silver bullet surely how can you expect UPND to debate Bill 10 when they walked out at the forum that led to Bill 10 where there was no consensus just full of bootlickers.
Use your heads for once!!
Lungu has himself reminded the Zambian people to VOTE WISELY and not to VOTE for someone who clearly told the Zambian citizens that he doesn’t have a vision on how to lead the country but the Zambian people went ahead taking him to state house……the man wanted to remain in Chwama ati iyoo lets go to state house……..Now the man has re-echoed that lets VOTE WISELY,LETS VOTE FOR someone who can fix the economy,someone who can fix the problems the Zambian people are going through,someone who has vision not kapuputa but someone with eyes to see where he is leading the people to.
SOMEONE who really knows how much is Zambia worthy,,,,,,yes how much is Zambia worthy not Aloysius,mulala kwacenama iyoooooo.
But before I go I would like to tell this kandile called Kaiser Zulu to stay on the platform even after 12th August don’t disappear mwana we shall take care of you with your full volume of speech and opinions as usual.
Ba yama Chikwanda, you are on record decrying Chinese PF gov’t Corruption. And high levels of poverty in Zambia. You are part of this ECL/ PF mess. Please keep playing your tired golf and expensive whisky. Let HH fix your fine meds.