People who shunned the by-elections are not fools – Kampyongo

By NATION REPORTER

THE connivance between the Executive and the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to manipulate the electoral system in favour of the United Party for National Development (UPND) is confirmation that Zambia’s constitutional democracy has been defiled, Stephen Kampyongo has charged.

And Mr Kampyongo says the people that shunned the Kabushi and Kwacha controversial by-elections are not fools and their boycott of the elections was a statement of revolt against the UPND and its leadership. Addressing the media at Parliament on Friday, Mr Kampyongo said the UPND was fanning anarchy by their undemocratic style of governance and that Zambians being what they were would rise and demonstrate that power belongs to the people and not to political leaders.

He said the levels of impunity being exhibited by the governing party was a warning that Zambia’s democracy was on the verge of being thrown out of the window and unless Zambians rose to stop the carnage against institutions of governance such as the ECZ, the country risked degenerating into anarchy and chaos.   Mr Kampyongo, the Shiwang’andu Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament (MP) said Zambians should be on guard against attempts by the UPND to kill the country’s democracy.

“The Constitution Court delivered two rulings. They did indicate that elections can take place beyond 90 days. They also directed that the orders by the High Court and the Court of Appeal were still standing.

And that is the reason why they could not site the Electoral Commission of Zambia for having disregarded the Constitution by not cancelling the nominations…. why because they stated that the Electoral Commission of Zambia could not do anything in view of the Court orders which were in place,” Mr Kampyongo said.

And Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Brian Mundubile has warned that the UPND administration is on the path to rid the country of its constitutional democracy so as to entrench itself and President Hakainde Hichilema into power.

Mr Mundubile, the Mporokoso has accused the UPND of having compromised the courts and were now subverting the rule of law.

Mr Mundubile said the UPND were conducting the affairs of the country as if the Constitution had been suspended and that Zambians were being governed by the whims of the President. 

“Today (Friday) marks the darkest day of our constitutional democracy. In a Constitutional Democracy, authority by the majority is limited by legal and institutional means so that the rights of individuals and the minority are respected. So when you are talking about the majority in this particular case you, are talking about the UPND government. When you talk about institutional means you are talking about state institutions. Now when you look at it in totality, you have a scenario that our courts are now compromised and I have no apologies about that,” Mr Mundubile said.