By SIMON MUNTEMBA
IT is absurd for United States of America (US) Senate Bob Menendez to describe that the political situation in Zambia was authoritarian without facts, PF political and media committee spokesperson Amos Chanda has said.
Mr Chanda disclosed that the ruling party was aware that the Congressman had been lobbied by special interests groups and individuals to portray Zambia as a failed state.
And PF media director Antonio Mwanza has warned opposition political party leaders to desist from deliberately breaking the law because it was elections time as there was Government in place to deal with them.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Chanda said it was disappointing that Mr Menendez could submit a report claiming that Zambia was an authoritarian State.
He was reacting to US Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Bob Menendez who submitted a statement in the congress describing the situation in Zambia as authoritarian.
“For lack of a better term, the statement by the US congressman is absurd and lacks fact,” he said.
He said it was also absurd for the US congressman to ask the President to concede defeat in an election that has not yet taken place.
Mr Chanda also said it was absurd for Mr Menendez to present a paper in the Congress of the United States of America to urge President Lungu to concede defeat even before elections were held.
He said Mr Menendez’s report lacked merit because no human rights protestor in Zambia had been arrested and incarcerated for protesting the electoral process.
He said those that have been arrested were charged with offences of murder and were found in possession of offensive weapons.
He also said Mr David young’s commenting on the electoral process of Zambia and making major statements about the needs to avoid violence must be commended because that was the spirit of cooperate approach and open day policy that President Edgar Lungu had adopted.
“We welcome constractive commentary not just from other parties but even foreign diplomats and monitors because this is the basis upon which you can judge that a free and fair election is guaranteed,” he said.
Meanwhile Mr Mwanza said it was regrettable that some political players in Zambia wanted to pretend that those in the opposition could not be arrested or prosecuted when there was an election.
He said only the head of state had immunity at any given time from civil or criminal prosecution.
He said the constitution did not allow for a vacuum of leadership because the head of state and an executive wing of Government was still operational.
“There is no vacuum in the power space and on one should assume that there is a vacuum just because there is an election. No one should think that just because there is an election you can go to town and commit a crime without being checked, that will not happen,” he said.
Mr Chanda also said his party was aware of a mudslinging campaign being championed by known tabloids to paint President Lungu and the PF as corrupt.
He however stated that on the contrary, President Lungu had fought corruption tooth and nail as he has not shielded any of his cabinet ministers and party members from being prosecuted on allegations of corruption.
“This is a President who has made sure that there are no sacred cows, everyone including his own cabinet ministers who have been accused of corruption have been paraded before our courts of law without any interference from the President,” Mr. Mwanza said.
