UKA WARNS OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

Mr Sikota, the chairman of UKA says if it means resorting to civil disobedience to put the country back on the rule law, protect the constitutional democracy and counter the shrinking democratic space, UKA was ready to take the radical route because the State was determined not to have the alliance registered.

He said UKA had followed all the steps, including meeting all the requirements for the police to take the finger prints but that the State had been blocking all avenues to have the movement registered.

He said there had been so much unconstitutional conduct on the part of the State in the country where irregular actions had become the norm, which he said was unstainable in a democracy.

“The police had to wait for Miles Sampa to finish his illegal convention at the Mulungushi Conference Centre and had his finger prints taken long after working hours. We have been to the police and have met all the requirements for finger prints to be taken but we are being frustrated. The State has been frustrating the registration of UKA and now if it means taking the route of civil disobedience, we shall do so as the last option,” Mr Sikota said.

And speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka yesterday, UKA vice chairperson Chishala Kateka said the new dawn administration was aware that UKA’s popularity was soaring across the country and that the only way to stop the alliance was to refuse and frustrate its registration with the Registrar of Societies. She said the new dawn administration had become so insecure about its stay in power having failed to fulfill all it campaign promises and that it had resorted to unnecessary tactics of delaying the registration of UKA with the hope that Zambians would lose hope in the alliance.

And Mr Sikota said the alliance has appealed to the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Jack Mwiimbu against the Zambia Police Service denial for a permit to hold a rally this Saturday in Kafue.

Mr Sikota said the denial was in contravention of the Zambian Constitution as the alliance was not seeking for permission to hold its mass rally but had merely informed and notified the police about the event.

He said if Mr Mwiimbu did not respond by Friday this week, then the alliance would be sure that he was supporting the police and it would ignore their objection and proceed with the rally.