OPPOSITION PLOT TO DISCREDIT ECZ EXPOSED

BY SIMON MUNTEMBA
PLOT in which an opposition political party has lined up individuals to attack the integrity and competence of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has been exposed.
And the Zambian DNA warned that unsubstantiated election rigging claims by surrogates of the UPND are a recipe for anarchy.
Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary-General, Davis Mwila, said the opposition had lined up a string of disgruntled individuals, both locally and internationally who would attack the ECZ and its top-ranking officials.
Mr Mwila said that the opposition had even hired some media organisations in the propaganda campaign against ECZ.
“In the coming days and weeks, you shall witness a heightened onslaught on the integrity and competency of ECZ to hold free and fair elections. “They have further hired certain media houses which will continue to give screaming headlines to this propaganda campaign against ECZ,’’ Mr Mwila said at a media briefing in Lusaka yesterday.
He said the ECZ was an autonomous institution which did not take instructions from any person, not even the Republican President in the discharge of its duties and accusing it of favouring the PF was unfounded.
Mr Mwila urged the opposition to desist from maligning the ECZ but rather engage the commission in a sober and mature manner when-ever they were aggrieved, like the ruling party did when ECZ hiked nominations fees for candidates in the fourthcoming elections.
And Zambian DNA spokesperson, Spuki Mulemwa, said unsubstantiated rigging allegations against the State were tantamount to inciting citizens to rise against a legitimately elected Government.
Mr Mulemwa challenged UPND surrogates making rigging allegations against PF to back such claims with evidence. He said it was un-patriotism for any citizen to instigate chaos in the country through lies. Mr Mulemwa said the ECZ has had a record of conducting free and fair elections hence any claims to the contrary should be backed by evidence.
“Election rigging claims are all schemes of the UPND and their surrogates are just implementing that propaganda agenda. But this is un-patriotic because such unsubstantiated claim are tantamount to inciting citizens to rise against a legitimately elected Government,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Mwila announced that the ruling party has adopted, Rosemary Chimbini, as its candidate for the Chilubi council chairper-son by-election which was prompted by the death of former chairperson, Daniel Mwila. He explained that Ms Chimbini was picked from five other applicants who had expressed interest to contest on the PF ticket following the central committee meeting chaired by President Edgar Lungu on Tuesday.