Maravi

UPND-PF pact complain about Police conduct

UPND-PF pact complain about Police conduct
By Zumani Katasefa in Solwezi and Mutuna Chanda in Kitwe
Sat 31 Oct. 2009, 04:01 CAT

UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema on Thursday lodged complaints over the conduct of police during the filing of nomination papers for the November 19 Solwezi Central parliamentary by-election.

And Anti-Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) executive director Bonnie Tembo has branded the ruling MMD's violence in Solwezi as an act of desperation.

Hichilema, who was accompanied by UPND senior party officials, complained to North-Western Province commanding officer Fabian Katiba that police failed to offer him and other PF-UPND pact members protection when they were attacked by MMD cadres at Kyawama market.

He complained that instead of dealing with the MMD cadres who started violence, the police threw teargas canisters at the peaceful PF-UPND members.

"The teargases were aimed at me and my vice-presidents and our members," Hichilema complained.
He said everyone, including himself who was at the scene, was chocked by the teargas.

"The fighting was started by the MMD, the MMD was mingled with the police who started firing teargas at us," complained Hichilema.

"We need protection from the police as much as the police need it, I am registering my displeasure. The people of Zambia will deliver change in 2011," he said.

Hichilema demanded an explanation from the police command as to why officers conducted themselves in such a manner.
"It is unfortunate that the police are acting like an arm of the MMD. We are disappointed with what happened," he said.

Hichilema also wondered whether police would have behaved in the same manner if MMD were the ones attacked.

"Were they going to fire teargas at Kabinga Pande? But because it was us, they decided to fire teargas at us," he said. "Kabinga Pande came asking for (UPND vice-president Richard) Kapita, why is he asking for Kapita? If we go out and organise ourselves like that, you will not handle us," warned Hichilema.

Hichilema said Pande was in Solwezi to ensure that people were beaten by the MMD cadres.
"Kabinga Pande was there to ensure that people are beaten," he said.

Hichilema said he was looking forward to meet Pande over the remarks against UPND leaders and the pact he had been making of late.

"I am requesting for a meeting with Kabinga Pande, I would like to meet him. He has been saying a lot of nonsense, even in Parliament. If I met him when he was saying such nonsense, I was going to nail him myself," he said.

Hichilema demanded that police take action against MMD cadres who were perpetrating violence in Solwezi.

And Hichilema said the re-enforcement of more police officers in Solwezi was meant to beat the UPND-PF pact down.

And Kapita wondered why Pande was looking for him, and vowed that he would present himself to Pande.

He warned that the UPND-PF pact would not allow the abuse of government resources by the MMD to conduct their campaigns in Solwezi.

"We are going to effect citizens arrest on anyone who is going to abuse government vehicles in this by-election," warned Kapita.

He said the PF-UPND pact would not be intimidated by the MMD in Solwezi.
And UPND Copperbelt Province chairman Elisha Matambo also complained against police's 'always siding with the MMD.

"We saw some police officers moving with Taima (deputy commerce minister Richard Taima) and one of the police officers even pointed a gun at us, but no action has been taken against that officer," he complained.

He said police should offer equal protection to all political leaders.
Matambo demanded an apology from the police command over the behaviour of their officers who teargased PF -UPND members.

And Katiba said police fired teargas to control the situation.
He said police were not working under instruction from MMD.

"Sir, we did that to control the situation. If the fighting had to go for 30 minutes, this time we would have been explaining about death. The next thing we did was to disperse the crowd," said Katiba.
"We will never be instructed, there is no instruction from the MMD," he said.

Katiba said they would institute investigations and open a docket against the culprits who damaged a vehicle and injured the two PF-UPND pact members.

He said violence started when the MMD changed their venue from showgrounds to Kyawama market, which was for the PF-UPND.

Katiba tried in vain to convince the UPND-PF leaders that he was not siding with MMD. He also complained that the MMD were accusing police of being sympathisers of the opposition parties.

Katiba said the additional reinforcement of police officers was meant to offer adequate protection and enforcement of law and order during the by-election campaigns.

Condemning the MMD's violence against UPND-PF pact in Solwezi, Tembo warned that the ruling party's desperation posed a threat to Zambia's democratic process.

"These are people who are ruling us and they must lead by example," Tembo said. "They must show that they are willing to abide by the law and the electoral code of conduct."

He said the violence exhibited by MMD cadres when they camped on the territory that was earmarked for a PF-UPND pact rally was clearly in violation of the law and electoral code of conduct.

"For them to trespass at the venue of a legally granted venue for a PF-UPND meeting then there is a problem," he said. "Police became spectators; Zambia Police is not police for the MMD, they are police for all Zambians and where PF-UPND cadres had to become police protecting HH, then there is a problem."

He encouraged police officers to read the Zambian Constitution to be able to understand their role.

He also called on the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to embrace the spirit of the Electoral Code of Conduct by condemning the MMD violence.

He said the Electoral Code of Conduct needed to be fully observed in the campaigns for the Solwezi Central by-election.

Meanwhile, Tembo wondered whether the MMD had formed a pact with the Zambia National Marketeers Association.

And Zambia Institute of Business Studies and Industrial Practice (ZIBSIP) students union president Innocent Mulenga called for issue-based politics in the Solwezi Central by-election campaigns and condemned violence.

Labels: AVAP, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, PF-UPND, WESTERN PROVINCE

posted by MrK @ 5:28 AM