By NATION REPORTER
THE UPND should resist all temptations of silencing the critical voices of the opposition and revert the country to the dreaded days of the One-Party State but promote the tenets of democracy for which Zambia has been known for and being admired for, Brian Mundubile has advised.
Mr Mundubile, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament is concerned that the UPND had started manifesting remnants of dictatorship by becoming averse to divergent views and silencing the voices of the opposition.
Mr Mundubile says Zambians had rejected the dictatorship of the One-Party state and shall resist any remnants of absolutism wherever it shall manifest during the UPND reign in government.
Recently, Transparency International Zambia (TI-Z) vice chairperson Reuben Lifuka observed that UPND had started showing remnants of a One-Party State and advised the governing party against weaponizing the law enforcement agencies.
But Mr Mundubile said President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND administration should care to know that they were democratically elected and should never entertain the temptation of taking Zambia back to the dark days of the One-Party state.
He explained that so far, there had been clear indications that the UPND was weaponizing the law enforcement agencies, turning the institutions of good governance into tools of political harassment and retribution against their perceived political foes.
Mr. Mundubile who is PF presidential candidate said new dawn administration should not be tempted to consider a One-Party State but should instead focus on addressing the free-fall of the Kwacha, the high prices of fuel at which is now K29, high ZESCO connection fees which have been increased from K750 to K14,000, the shortage of essential medicines, high cost of fertilizer and high cost of mealie meal.
He said the UPND administration was weaponisation the law enforcement agencies to suppress the freedoms and rights of citizens, cautioning that Zambians had been enjoying democracy since 1991 and would not allow to be taken back of the days of absolutism.
Mr. Mundubile said the arrests that have been conducted in the past one year clearly showed that UPND would never tolerate criticism despite Zambia being a constitutional democracy.
“If you interrogate and find out the nature of these offenses for which these arrests on the many Zambians, you will conclude that the UPND government is just weaponising law enforcement agencies to intimidate citizens,” He said.
But President Hichilema should just concentrate on delivering to Zambians. Let the President deal with Kwacha that is not showing any signs of recovery from its free fall. Zambians would be happy if President Hichilema reduced the high cost of fuel, mealie meal, the shortage of essential medicines in hospitals and reducing the Zesco tariffs and connections fees,” Mr Mundubile said.
Mr. Mundubile said the UPND administration was attempting to instill fear in the minds of citizens so that they do not associate, speak and move freely, which characterized as typical traits of totalitarianism
“For those of us that were there during the UNIP time, this is déjà vu. We have been there and saw times like this,” he said.
Mr. Mundubile said it was a timely warning to those in the UPND administration that they should resist the temptation of taking Zambia 40 years back because the country had moved on.
“Zambians have enjoyed freedom under this democratic dispensation because we are indeed a constitutional democracy and we expect the Government to govern using the rule of law,” Mr Mundubile said.
Mr. Mundubile said the UPND administration should have cared to audit events that had taken place in the country from the time they took over power before accepting to host the Democracy Summit.
