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Violence is MMD's strategy, charges Hichilema

Violence is MMD's strategy, charges Hichilema
By Joseph Mwenda
Fri 13 Nov. 2009, 13:00 CAT

Opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema
By Joseph Mwenda OPPOSITION United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema has described the prevailing violence in Solwezi as an MMD strategy to intimidate electorates ahead of the November 19 parliamentary by-elections.

And Hichilema this morning charged that the Electoral Commision of Zambia (ECZ) was useless in its current state because there were no electoral laws being adhered to during elections in the country. Meanwhile, Police spokesperson Bonnie Kapeso has assured the nation that the 50 police officers assigned to secure peace in the violence-marred campaigns are working hard to protect the electorates. Speaking in an interview with The Post On-line, Hichilema said the rulling MMD was scared of losing the parliamentary seat that fall vacant following the death of area MP Benny Tetamashimba who was also local government minister.

“They have seen the numbers of people we are attracting to our rallies and because they are scared, they have now resorted to violence. The police mobilization is being done on behalf of the MMD while we are left alone without protection,” Hichilema said.

The UPND leader whose party entered into an alliance with the Patriotic Front earlier this year, said the MMD was desperate in their campaigns and were disrupting the opposition rallies through the police.

“Yesterday, MMD vehicles disrupted a rally which I was addressing in Zambia compound, I was on the podium so I saw them coming first and urged the people to ignore them, but they drove right inside the rally attended by over 8, 000 people in full view of the police. Now if we were violent people, those people would have been killed,” he said. Hichilema further accused the Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde of helping the MMD to distribute money, food stuffs and other materials to the electorates.

“Kabonde has been giving money to his officers and chiefs in Solwezi promising them that if they help MMD win the elections, he would promote the police officers in their area. Now what kind of thinking is that?” he wondered.

Hichilema said the MMD had distributed Fertilizer and clothing materials to would-be voters and K20 million to a newly formed Pastors’ fellowship in Solwezi.

“RB (Rupiah Banda) has started distributing sugar, salt, fertilizer and mealie meal to electorates like he did with Catherine Namugala (tourism minister) in Katete last year,” he said. He further said ECZ had been reduced to a branch of the ruling MMD.

There are no electoral laws in the country, the ECZ is useless and we need an independent electoral commission to be put in place, because they are seeing what is happening but they are doing nothing,” he said. Meanwhile, Kapeso confirmed that his ofiice had received police reports of pre-election violence from Solwezi.

“There were reports of violence in Solwezi, but since we deployed those 50 police officers, no new cases have come through, the officers on the ground are working hard to protect the electorates but we are ready to send reinforcement if need be,” he said. Meanwhile, Forum for Democratic Alternatives, (FDA) president Dr. Ludwig Sondashi this morning said his party had not been affected by the violence in Solwezi.

“There is in-fighting between MMD and UPND, our party has not been affected, but we are deeply concerned with the materials that the MMD are distributing to the electorates,” said Dr. Sondashi.

Labels: BONNIE KAPESO, CADRES, CORRUPTION, ELECTIONS, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, MMD, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, SATA

posted by MrK @ 3:59 PM