By NATION REPORTER
NEITHER police nor ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres have the right to stop opposition political parties from mobilising their members, UPND national youth chairperson, Gilbert Liswaniso has said.
Mr Liswaniso said people should learn from past mistakes, which led to the Patriotic Front (PF) losing power.
He said PF used the Public Order Act (POA) to put pressure on the police to intimidate political opponents.
“This government will not allow people to go back to that route nor will I allow that as national youth leader even though we campaigned under difficult circumstances but now that the environment is free for everyone,” Mr Liswaniso said.
He warned UPND cadres against disturbing opposition political parties whenever they hold meetings and other mobilisation activities.
He said even UPND was supposed to be on the ground mobilising their supporters and warned members against complacency.
Mr Liswaniso said as a ‘“chief mobiliser” he would not allow the police to throw into disarray the level political playing field that the UPND administration had created.
He advised UPND supporters not to attack anyone who criticised President Hakainde Hichilema, especially when they were using various media platforms because doing so would also mean disrupting the operations of the media.
Mr Liswaniso said this would result in the media to start working against the UPND
Mr Liswaniso encouraged UPND supporters to make full use of the various media platforms to speak about the good things that the UPND were doing and to defend President Hichilema.
He said violence and insults do not win elections because if that was the case, the PF would still be in office.
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