MUSUMALI TELLS ZAMBIANS TO DEFEND DEMOCRACY

ZAMBIANS must stand up and defend the country’s democracy because the UPND was resolved to turn the country into a dictatorship, says Socialist Party first vice president Cosmas Musumali.

Dr Musumali said in an interview that it was clear to all that UPND wanted to be the only vibrant party in a multi-party democracy.

He said UPND’s actions during by-elections spoke volumes that it wanted to cling on to power by all means possible, including illegal means.

“Zambians should rise and defend our constitutional democracy. We will not allow UPND to annihilate our country’s hard-earned democracy. We all must stand up,” Dr Musumali said.

He said many times the Socialist Party and many other opposition political parties had suffered from schemes of UPND aimed at disadvantaging them in by-elections as well as their existence as the opposition.

Last Thursday, Socialist Party candidates in Chikenge ward in Kabompo and Kaunga ward in Luangwa were allegedly abducted by suspected UPND cadres to stop them from filing their nominations.

Those implicated in the alleged abduction of the Chikenge ward candidate was Kabompo District Commissioner Hubert Chinyanga while in Kaunga ward in Luangwa, the UPND Lusaka Province chairperson Obvious Mwaliteta and provincial youth chairperson Anderson Banda were accused.

In the case of Kaunga ward, Mr Mwaliteta is alleged to have organised a group of hooligans to abduct the female candidate, Ms Maneya Mwale 22, and pointed a pistol in her face forcing her to assure them that she was withdrawing from the race.