THE advice from Caritas Zambia to the governing UPND in the run up to the January 20 parliamentary by-election in Lusaka’s Kabwata constituency should be taken seriously.
The by-election will be a test to safeguarding the country’s democracy coming so soon after the August 12 tripartite elections that brought the UPND into power.
This is more so that it comes in the aftermath of the serious warning by a top official of the UPND, Mr William Banda, to crush the former ruling Patriotic Front in the by-election.
This time round, it is the UPND that is in the driver’s seat holding all the instruments of power.
It is the more reason why the respected Catholic Relief Organisation Caritas Zambia says the UPND must not interfere with campaigns of other political parties during the Kabwata by-election next month to show that things have changed for better.
Caritas Zambia Executive Director Eugene Kabika said having condemned the way the Public Order Act (POA) was applied under the PF regime, the UPND should show leadership and allow other political parties to campaign freely ahead of the January 20, 2022 by-election.
Mr Kabika’s warning and advice to the UPND is based on the experiences that opposition parties, particularly the UPND, were treated when PF was in power.
He said in an interview that having detested the way the POA was applied under PF, the UPND is not expected to gather its supporters with the aim of disturbing campaign programmes of other parties.
“In the Kabwata by-election, we expect the UPND as a ruling party not to interfere with the campaigns of all the political parties that are taking part. Allow them to campaign as much as they can, just as you promised,” Mr Kabika said.
Moreover, the nation expects the new dawn administration to have picked up a few lessons from the Lusangazi and Chumbwe by-elections a few months ago held under its watch.
There were reports of violence against the opposition parties, particularly the PF.
Ironically, the UPND leader, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, after winning the August 12 presidential election promised that his administration would run the affairs of the nation strictly under the rule of law.
Mr Hichilema promised that the opposition parties would be allowed to operate freely, that the Public Order Act would not be abused by his administration.
But it is surprising that the UPND has remained quiet over the violence being propagated by Mr Banda, the party’s chairman for special duties.
There is reason to be wary over Mr Banda’s statement considering his violent background from his UNIP and MMD days and the era of vigilantes.
Elections, as we have often stated, should not be a matter of life or death. They should be about offering options to the electorate about who would best serve and meet their aspirations.
For the UPND leadership, it must realise that all the focus is on how it will accommodate its political competitors – especially its cadres who are deemed to have no respect for the law.
We hope what transpired yesterday in Lusaka’s Chilenje Township is not a harbinger of things to come when some residents were beaten by UPND cadres for flashing symbols of other parties.
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