By GRACE CHAILE LESOETSA
UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) have asked the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to immediately direct the Police to stop interfering with Hakainde Hichilema’s campaign trails.
Failure to which it will be deemed that ECZ is endorsing the behaviour of the police.
According to a letter dated August 4, 2021, UPND through its lawyer Marshal Muchende of M Associates said that party Presidential candidate Hakainde Hichilema is the only target of the police out of the 16 candidates.
They said on July 19, Mr Hichilema was detained for over two hours at Chipata Airport, in an attempt to stop him from entering Chipata district on his campaign trial. The party further alleges that Mr Hichilema was blocked from entering Nakonde and Mbala by use of force and fired teargas canisters at citizens.
UPND claimed that the detention of their party president follows a directive from Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja issued on July 26, this year.
“Our client complains that he is the only target of the police out of all aspiring candidates for the office of the President and that the behaviour of the police against him not only violates his constitutional rights and freedoms of movement, assembly and expression but also interfers with the electoral process in that they are hindering his campaign activities and programs during the official campaign period ahead of the national polls on 12th August, 2021,” said the party.
