By NATION REPORTER
THE Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has been challenged to rise and defend Zambia’s constitutional democracy that is being threatened by the UPND whose desire is to annihilate the entire opposition including the Patriotic Front (PF).
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Kasonde Mwenda, the president of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says it is unusual that when the UPND administration was working its way to entrench and promote a culture of lawlessness by influencing the Judiciary and the Legislature from which some outrageous decisions which were unconstitutional had been made.
Mr Mwenda said in an interview that since time immemorial, the LAZ had been known to rise and defend the country, especially when its democracy was not only being threatened, undermined but was being raped by the Hakainde Hichilema administration.
He has challenged the LAZ to issue a pointed statement on what was happening in the Judiciary concerning the PF cases involving expelled Matero Member of Parliament in the wake of what was happening in the National Assembly and the Judiciary.
“Since time immemorial, the role of the Law Association of Zambia amongst other organisation of such magnitude has been to defend the country in times of need. Since time immemorial, we have seen LAZ rise and defend the country’s democracy when it has been threatened. As the Economic Freedom Figherts, we are demanding that LAZ should issue a pointed statement on what has been happening in the Judiciary and the Legislature because our democracy is being threatened and yet the institutions that are supposed to protect and defend it have seemingly become accomplices,” Mr Mwenda said.
He said it was unusual that that the UPND government had embarked on a dangerous path of entrenching the culture of lawlessness where Zambians had seen the ruling party propagating political “imingalato” which seemed to have been endorsed by both the Judiciary and the Legislature.
Mr Mwenda said the UPND had so far made opposition political parties their merchandise that they could easily sell, infiltrate, rape and raid while the Laz was acting as a spectator instead of giving guidance and checking on the excesses of the Executive.
“We have seen a lot of illegalities being perpetrated by the UPND and LAZ seem to be watching with glee. LAZ’s silence had been too loud…it has been deafening. The Judiciary so far seem to have joined the Executive and the Legislature in the dirty game of political imingalato. The UPND has made the opposition political parties their merchandise which they can infiltrate, sale, rape and raid yet LAZ is silent. This is worrying because this is an institution Zambians run to for recourse,” Mr Mwenda said.
“We ask LAZ, where are you when our democracy is being raped by the UPND? You have been too silent. Ass EF who believe in multipatism and believe that institutions of good governance should be checked, we demand that LAZ should issue a statement on what has been happening in the opposition,” Mr Mwenda said.
Mr Mwenda complained that he was perpetually being arrested for only holding a press briefing to interact with journalists and yet LAZ had never seen the reason to comment on what had been happening.
He recalled that LAZ had never issued a statement on the theft of the Kwacha and Kabushi parliamentary by-elections even after Zambia’s constitutional lawyer, John Sangwa SC had clearly stated that the two by-elections were stolen from the PF.
“We need guidance from LAZ. Do we need a permit from the police to have a press briefing? The UPND has committed a lot of illegalities yet the LAZ that we knew as condemning the wrongs in the past in real time has gone worryingly quiet. Meanwhile, the Judiciary is seemingly endorsing the illegalities that are happening in the PF,” Mr Mwenda said.
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