By NATION REPORTER
THE governing UPND is troubled with what it has termed a growing trend by a consortium of opposition political parties’ determination to fan confusion in the country thereby reversing good governance gained since the party assumed power in August, 2021.
But Jackson Silvawe, the United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) chairperson for communications declined to comment, stating that he could not respond to a UPND media team and probably a member of the alliance media could answer.
Getrude Imenda, the UPND deputy secretary general says however that the opposition had deliberately disregarded the penal code precepts of the Public Order Act (POA) and were engaging in activities meant to cause anarchy in the country.
“Why should the opposition always want to paint a gloomy picture to the effect that Zambia’s democratic credentials are dwindling when the opposite is true? Isn’t it written in plain black and white that for the first time in Zambia’s political history, opposition political figures are free to criticise the government without fear whatsoever of being arrested ? Isn’t it commendable that the UPND-led Government has for the past two and half years been working tirelessly to ensure that the country’s political playing field is levelled?” Ms Imenda said.
Ms Imenda claimed that no one in their right mind could deny the fact that the current crop of opposition political parties was the most baseless consort whose main stay was spitting venom at the persona of President Hakainde Hichilema as opposed to providing checks and balances and offering alternative solutions.
“The casting of aspersions by the opposition political parties to the effect that they are being denied the freedom to campaign by the men and women in uniform is neither here nor there, she said.
She explained that the opposition should know that Zambia was a country of laws and as such, it should be made known that the mandate to maintain law and order was the sole preserve of the Zambia Police Service.
Ms Imenda claimed that the governing party, as per their campaign promises, would never interfere in the operations of the police and that those claiming that the police had become an appendage of the UPND should know that Zambia was worse than it is now no more than three years ago.
“It is our sincere belief that our colleagues, from the opposition, whom we regard as competitors and not enemies, would stop hallucinating and face the reality that now is not the time for campaigns but for work and President Hakainde Hichilema is doing just that,” Ms Imenda said.
The governing party’s deputh chief executive said President Hichilema’s current provincial working visits were meant to explain his vision and developmental programmes as opposed to partying and campaigning.
“For us in the ruling party, our preoccupation is delivering to the people’s expectations. That is why we have seen a number of projects mushrooming everywhere,” she said.
Ms Imenda said President Hichilema was making working visits to provinces as a head of State and not as UPND president.
