The announcement that Inspector-General of Police Stella Libongani had issued orders refusing to grant permission for a joint opposition rally represents an unlawful violation of the Zambian peoples’ right to free and fair assembly, said the Coalition for the Defence of Democratic Rights (CDDR).
The combined opposition rally, which is planned take place in the Mtendere township in Lusaka and will address the issues of the arrest of opposition leaders and the current spate of food shortages, was jointly proposed by members from the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), United Party for National Development (UPND), Alliance for Development and Democracy (ADD), United Liberal Party (ULP), and the Zambia Direct Democracy Movement (ZDDM). The opposition parties notified the police of their intention to hold the rally together in response to repeated refusals to grant permission for individual rallies.
“There is absolutely no basis under the Zambian constitution or international law for the police to arbitrarily and preemptively ban peaceful political gatherings for no reason,” said Robert Amsterdam, counsel to the CDDR. “The Patriotic Front administration is in violation of several international agreements that guarantee basic rights to its citizens, such as free and fair association and the right to public assembly.”
Reports of the denial of the permit to the opposition parties follows upon controversial statements by Minister of Justice Wynter Kabimba, who recently stated that Zambian people “want a one-party state,” and that the government would seek to “close down” certain Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).
“The international community and donor institutions must remind the Zambian leadership of its international commitments, and ask them to instruct Inspector-General Libongani to reverse the order to ban the Mtendere rally,” said Amsterdam. “There is a clear pattern of abuse to these recent events in Zambia, as basic principles of democracy appear to be under attack.”
Representing a broad array of opposition parties, political figures, and private citizens, Coalition for the Defence of Democratic Rights (CDDR) is a legal defence alliance formed in Zambia in the fall of 2012 in response to increasing harassment and interference by the authorities and related parties. More information on the CDDR’s activities can be read at http://cddr-zambia.org.
It’s because of selfishness of Sata and Kabimba now stop complaining you idddiots we told you. Just dance to the tune u voted for.
octopus paul bwalya..is that neccessary? is that how we will change our nation!
That’s all u wanted
Who’s complaining? Seleni tubombeko!!!
I still dont understand what people saw in sata N’.
they are legal. very legal. Wynter is a lawyer
he is a lawyer who has never won a single case in his entire practising life
No they didn’t!!
Barabbas!
# 3 Yes Kabimba is a Lawyer who has lost nearly every case he has handled. No wonder bad decisions are a hallmark of PF leadership.
Why is Storella not saying anything???
LOL! Ha ha ha ha ha!!! Ke ke ke ke ke ke!!!!! Where is that other Mushota who pretends to dislike Zambia?
Let us see how BRAVE Zambians are. Sata knows that Zambians are cowards and they just talk. Kaunda sat on them for 27 years. Chiluba would have gone on as well if it was not for Edith Nawakwi.
Chiluba actually said Zambians are docile – which is probably not far from the truth. But PF are now pushing their luck. Soon tension will be so high we may have civil strife in the country.
If this is happening NOW, I wonder what it will be like in 2016.
If Zambians dont’t stop this now, there will not be free and fair elections in 2016.
You have been warned.
Too bad PF……
I do not support what is going on BUT WHO IS THIS ROBERT AMSTERDAM? Are there no people in Zambia who can speak out? SHAME
my thought as-well,where was Amsterdam when RB was abusing our state media,where was he when RB ordered the killing of barotse people
Democracy at its best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There is always a way for every thing.
if things goes to worse we shall remove sata from power by force..
You will not succeed God forbids.Holding rallies now what for have they run out of ideals ? LET them hold rallies during campaign periods this I time to work not to incite spoke you evil men
THIS MAN SATA WON ELECTIONS YEARS AGO. I AM CONVINCED ALL OF THEM WERE JUST RIGGED. WHAT A CROWD!
Amsterdam is now eating for Zambia, trading for Zambia, insulting for zambia and what have you, just because the Bandas hired him to represent them in their dark side of their biz activities.
Satana you will not last long in that office.
@ #8 THE SAINT,
You have raised a very important point and Zambians must be aware that anything is possible regarding the 2016 elections.
In Africa nothing comes easy for opposition parties, they have to fight for their rights. They must go ahead with their proposed joint rally as scheduled. What is the PF administration scared of?
You just lost the elections and you are still bitter ba kapanda wa buchi imwe .let Sata control this country mwe mbwamwa ba oppositions the man Sata is doing fine.PF muchende
Someone please put a bullet in Amsterdam’s head… Then bring me Rupiah’s son alive.
Dont worry everybody. After the death of a former president, some opinion in the newspaper read: DEATH IS AN EQUALISER! Dont worry, it will soon equalise for us all
The rally in the picture was during the official campaign period prior to general elections.I attended the rally.This one of the pictures in which his enermies were saying he is looking sick.SATA never held any rally before election period. He understood the law and resorted to using the media which he befriended.
Lets fight PF. We are asking well meaning Zambans abroad to start mobilising for resources to support our brothers to fight PF.
This is PFcracy and not Democracy
That is undemocratic!
But again a rally for what? in as much as we need freedom of assembly there should be necesity too..
Rally for what to incite People twakana you evil men we know you have failed to organise your parties.Wait for the by election in Mpongwe and hold rallies.YOU know very well that majority of Zambians are not behind you just organise your parties
We are very good at just complaining and doing absolutely nothing to reverse the negative effect of retrogressive laws such as the Public Order Act (POA).
All successive MMD govts tormented the opposition by blatantly and unashamedly abusing of the same POA they are complaining about today. They laughed at the opposition with impunity every time they denied them permits to hold meeting or arbitrarily arrested them if they defied such orders.
For Sata, this POA is surely not his priority and for him the opposition can commit suicide if they want
Repeal the POA and this nonsense will cease forthwith.
Ubupuba tuleke muchalo
The Question is not about the opposition holding political rallies its is the motive behind the political gathering..the oppositin’s agenda is to insight the public for an up rise like the Egypt uprising!
Do you have evidence for that? Or are you just one of those PF empty calabashes… Sata kept inciting Zambians throughout his years in opposition but nobody ever banned his rallies or public meetings. His days are numbered. State House has seen many presidents come and go, nobody is there for ever. Every dog has its day, some dogs end up humiliated and Sata will be that dog. He has already forgotten how Kaunda ended up sh.i.ttin.g his pants.
I have a very strong feeling Sata will end very badly in that office.
In many ways this is good for MMD because they were told to repeal the public order act and they refused. Let them taste their own medicine. Meanwhile it is the people who are suffering. Commodity prices are going up every month, the kwacha is not even worth talking about, no leadership, the president is intellectually disabled, the cabinet is divided. Back to where we started in 1964.
Kabimba and Sata Now after Kambwili. They want to finish GBM supporters then Lubinda and finally Guy Scott.
Sata Must be stopped at all costs.
LADY GAGA ES LA MEJOR DE TODAS LA CANTANTES SOLISTAS LA AMP LA ADORO