Wed, 12 Sep 2012 21:26:33 +0000
THE Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has challenged government to institute disciplinary measures against Senior Police officers for brining shame on the Zambia Police Service and the Executive.
Condemning the police action of blocking the holding of the public rally by opposition UPND in Kanyama Compound on Sunday, LAZ president James Banda said disregarding the Court Order was a rich recipe for unbridled anarchy, injustice and the break down in the rule of law.
Mr. Banda said that the action by police greatly undermined the very laws which Courts were established to foster and implement.
In a statement released to the Daily Nation, Mr. Banda said the action by police was an infringement of human rights because the party had a High Court order allowing it to go ahead with its programme.
Mr. Banda said it was public knowledge that in a bid to proceed with the rally, UPND had recourse to the High Court and which was granted.
He said that it was unfortunate that the police in their intolerance and breach of the law elected to block the holding of the rally notwithstanding the UPND availing them the Court Order.
“On the basis of the foregoing, LAZ strongly condemns the acts of police arbitrariness and disregard of legality exhibited in Kanyama and now calls upon the Executive to ensure that the institutions through which it has been elected to preside over national governance, operate in the most professional and generally acceptable standards of public expectations.
“It is our expectation that the Executive will not bless the actions by the Police keeping the senior officers who disobeyed a Court Order and brought shame on the Zambia Police Service and indeed on the Executive as a whole,” stated Mr. Banda.
He said that LAZ was deeply concerned that such acts of intolerance and similar documented actions of arbitrariness on the part of the police of which LAZ had expressed concern and commented about have continued unabated by the government.
Mr Banda said one could not help but conclude that these actions on the part of the police were undertaken with instructions and blessings of the Executive.
He said no person, government authority inclusive had the right to violate constitutional rights of citizens, unless under compelling and clearly deserving circumstances.
Mr Banda said that it was shocking for LAZ to see that despite police having indicated that there was no manpower to police the UPND rally, the same huge officers in riot gear blocked the opposition from having their meeting.
