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Chilanga may be bloodier than Mufumbwe - CARITAS

Chilanga may be bloodier than Mufumbwe - CARITAS
By George Chellah and Mwala Kalaluka
Sat 09 Oct. 2010, 08:30 CAT [1214 Reads, 0 Comment(s)]

CARITAS Zambia yesterday said the Chilanga parliamentary by-election may be bloodier than Mufumbwe and urged all political players to brace themselves.

Commenting on the confusion that erupted in Lusaka’s Chilanga area during the filing of nomination papers, Caritas Zambia executive director Sam Mulafulafu called for peace.

“Now that nominations have been done for both the Chilanga and Mpulungu constituencies, we hope political parties will commit themselves to violence free elections in both the constituencies and wards where the by-elections will be held. We need to hear pronouncements for peaceful elections being made at all political activities organised by political parties during the campaigns,” Mulafulafu said.

He said Caritas was already appalled by the violence that took place in Chilanga.

“This is not a good sign especially for the Chilanga constituency by-election which seems to be the most sought after seat. The police, as usual, demonstrated their ineptness when it comes to political violence involving party cadres from the ruling party.

As for the MMD, we question their motive and commitment to peaceful elections when they appointed William Banda as the deputy campaign manager for their party in the Chilanga by election,” Mulafulafu said.

“This man is a known political and election thug who knows only the language of violence. We anticipate that Chilanga by-election may be bloodier than Mufumbwe and all political actors must brace themselves for that.

A prelude to this violence has already been shown at the nominations. We ask the ECZ, Police Service, the three Church mother bodies and the ECZ National Conflict Management Committee to already convene a stakeholders meeting on the need for peaceful elections before campaigns begin in earnest.”

And Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) information officer Obby Chibuluma condemned the continued violation of the law by MMD cadres around the country with impunity.

“SACCORD is disappointed and saddened that the MMD has decided to employ violence as a means of winning support which we find uncivilised, barbaric and unacceptable in today’s political dispensation. What happened in Chilanga yesterday (Thursday) was a clear message that the MMD has become a very violent political party. As a party in government, we expect that the party would be more tolerant and peaceful in the conduct of political business. Their conduct in Chilanga was appalling and unacceptable,” Chibuluma said.

“We have stated before and restate again that if the MMD continues unchecked, they will remain the single major threat to the peace of this country. This emergent MMD orchestrated violence requires attention from the highest level of MMD leadership. We want to see tangible action from President Banda if citizens are to be assured that next year’s elections will be peaceful. We are shocked that while President Banda is calling on Zambians to be peaceful, his party is at the centre of causing violence in the country. We find this very strange and wonder what the real intentions are.”

Chibuluma said William Banda had transformed the MMD into a party that seeks to win elections by all means, including violence.

“It is time now for the MMD to clarify whether or not he is hired as a technician of violence in the MMD. SACCORD believes that the continued violence being perpetrated by the MMD is as a result of desperation on their part. We have noted with great concern that whenever the MMD feels that it may lose an election, the party resorts to violence as a means of campaigning and is always quick to try and paint other parties as the violent ones. These actions must not be accepted by the people of this country,” he said.

“Zambians are just recovering from the Mufumbwe violence and to let the country go through another violent election will be the pinnacle of irresponsibility by authorities.”
Chibuluma said Zambians felt hopeless especially that the current Inspector General of Police was on record as having said that threatening violence was not an offence.

“The police leadership is on test once more to prove its worth to the Zambian people it is supposed to serve. The country cannot have a police service which clearly chooses to side with the ruling party whenever there is political violence. The violence is also an indictment on the police for having failed to work professionally and choosing to be servants of the ruling MMD instead of the people of Zambia,” Chibuluma said.

And Lusaka Province Police commanding officer Greenwell Ng’uni yesterday blamed political party cadres for the violence that occurred in Chilanga.

Commenting on the incident where Police officers had to fire a gunshot and teargas canisters to disperse an unruly mob of MMD cadres that wanted to lynch UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema and his officials, Ng’uni said the conduct was uncalled for.

He described Lusaka Province MMD acting chairperson William Banda’s allegation that police officers were partisan, as unfortunate.

“We have blamed the party cadres that went there, Ng’uni said in an interview. “We are not going to allow that in Lusaka. We are not going to allow violence. What we saw there was uncalled for.”

Asked to mention which political party cadres were behind the uncalled for conduct, Ngu’ni said: “Those cadres who were there. Those who took part are to blame. You see what we are saying is this, those who are involved let them do it peacefully. We are not going to tolerate violence. We are on full alert to counter any violence.”

Ng’uni said Lusaka Police wanted the people of Chilanga to vote peacefully.

On Thursday afternoon, police fought running battles with scores of MMD cadres, ferried from Lusaka town to Chilanga.
Before they arrived at the nomination centre, the MMD cadres were found at several points along Kafue Road being given packets of Lusaka Beer, Tujilijili spirits (sachets) and caned beer.

And Siavonga UPND parliamentarian Douglas Syakalima, who was among the people that were with Hichilema when he escaped into a classroom full of pupils to get away from MMD cadres that wanted to beat him up, has described the MMD as a violent party.

Syakalima said for those that were still wondering as to who was violent between the UPND and MMD during the petitioned Mufumbwe by-election, their answer was the Chilanga incident.

“I am sure you have seen for yourself,” Syakalima said. “But oppressed people don’t remain oppressed forever. I hope this is the last time they (MMD) are going to behave like this because inside there (campaign), there is going to be a problem. We (UPND) are also bound to defend ourselves, but don’t question us how?”

Syakalima asked President Rupiah Banda to immediately condemn the conduct of his cadres if he was not behind the violent streak of the MMD cadres.

Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) spokesperson Chris Akufuna could not comment on the Chilanga violence because he was in Livingstone where a meeting to review the Electoral Code of Conduct had just ended.

He said none of the people from the Commission could immediately comment on the same because they had all been in Livingstone for the meeting.

Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, CARITAS, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, SAM MULAFULAFU

posted by MrK @ 6:18 PM