Opposition UPND president Hakainde Hichilema has called for free and fair elections in the August 2016 general elections.
Speaking when he featured on hot FM’s Hot seat program, the opposition leader said his party did not want violence during election saying “we don’t want pangas during this year’s elections.”
He said polling stations should be opened to all stakeholders without any intimidation from any political party or individuals.
“We want a free and fair election. We don’t want pangas, we want polling stations to be opened to all stakeholders, political party election agents, observers and other stakeholders.
We need constituency totalling centres to be open, we want the national totalling centre to be open to all stakeholders, the centre were results were being changed in the 20th January presidential election. We don’t want ECZ officials, PF cadres and councillors to be the only ones in the room, it must be open.
Why would you close the centre when the results come from polling centres. An election is not for only one citizen, an election is a public affair,” Mr. Hichilema said.
And on public media houses Mr. Hichilema said the media houses and their reporters were lying to people by publishing false stories.
He gave an example of the stories published by Times of Zambia and its sister media Zambia Daily Mail in which he allegedly blasted 2 Traditional leaders from Southern Province for welcoming PF Secretary General Davis Chama of being typical examples of the falsehoods being published by the state run media houses.
He said it was sad that government officials and PF cadres were interfering with the operations of government media houses.
On the constitution, the opposition leader said the numbers at the stadium showed President Lungu that he was signing a document which people did not agree with.
He said PF had spent over 2 billion on a constitution which people have said no to as seen from the empty seats at Heroes Stadium.
Mr. President you are right.
ECZ needs to be reformed in terms of their processes to the satisfaction of all stakeholders. No late delivery of ballots, no late announcement of results, no purported announcement of strongholds at the end. Ballot papers should be transported in transparent boxes including during elections and should tally what was printed, in the polling stations both casted and not casted. In short the process should not be broken but should have the confidence of all local stakeholders. ECZ should discipline unfair POA, bribery of voters, election malpractices etc
The Opposition Parties need to start suing the police for unfair POA including all damages caused by opposition parties failing to interact with the electorate. The courts and ECZ have to intervene.
Without a free press, judiciary, ECZ, police and fair coverage of the competing parties, the losers are Zambians. I still remember how KK allowed open TV debates in 1991. G. Mapulanga interviewed contesting candidates without Govt interference. Though KK was a dictator, he had a heart for Zambia compared to these thugs and their thieves. Zambia needs a new crop of leadership that suites modern and progressive politics and economic developments. We cannot be living like we are still in the 60s!
HH, Dr CB, GBM & the Upnd team to this level you know very well that you are dealing with people that cant be trusted, they are desperate for power, the PF, you saw what happened at their convention when they were choosing someone to take over from Sata. Talk alone will not help, strict measures have to be put in place, we need strong independent observers & systems that will reduce malpractice during the elections. Otherwise, even the constitution handling was not done in good faith, it was not done for the Zambian people but for Lungu & the PF, they think the clauses they have amended will help them win, period. Zambians lets be alert , Opposition be alert!
HH should also not to ECZ or ZNBC to tell them how to announce results like what he did during last elections
Ichilema don’t overate your self even if u lose genuinely u can’t accept because u are pompous & rude
Yes we need free polls and it is also up to all political parties to have polling agents at all stations so that there are no suspicions of rigging. Yes we need total transparency so that who ever will loose, will loose it square and clean! However, I do not agree with you Mr.HH that if the stadium is half empty then people do not agree with the constitution! I bet those who are happy with the clauses that I have been included outnumber those who are against. The empty stadium could be as a result of this even coming just after the festive period and there was no adequate time for publicity to attract those who might have wished to flock to the stadium. I guess there was a good number of people who chose to watch the event on TV than drive all the way to the stadium after coming from work.
You think PF did not do everything to want to show the world that they n by having a huge crowd?
kikikikikiki! Ba Church Elder bena kuwayawaya fye! the problem with this chap is that he believes so much the stories that are published by the ZWD! For your information ba Church elder, there were alot of people at the stadium and i was part of that great history! You were not there because of your bitterness and petiness and you relied on falsehoods published by your fellow minions ZWD…. Shame on you!
Just be strong because the game is now on……..to put you where you belong…..Political Dustbin
Chililalila number one!
Do we still have normal people who are supporting PF after all the suffering the Zambian people are going through because of failure of the pathetic f00ls government.
Only an insane person would continue to support a party that drags them through perpetual suffering and mediocre lifestyle
Our vote will go to HH this time
When the late President Mr Michael Chilufya Sata and the PF were in opposition, I don’t remember him talking of “we want free and fair elections”, the man and PF just worked hard and won the souls of Zambians and the rest is history.
I don’t know how many times this kapoli HH has been talking of elections rigging. If he really thinks he has the mantle to unseat President Lungu, let the people do the talking but looking at how 2016 has started, all indications are in favour of President Lungu and the PF. So to the PF family, let’s do more of working for the people and less talking between now and July. Let the development results do the talking in August 2016. This surely will be the difference.
HH and UPND are so confused that they can lie that they were no people at the stadium? The chap is so lost that the he has even forgotten that the assent in of the constitution bill was on Tuesday, a working day but was so so filled to capacity.
I think in all honest HH has been reminded that it’s all over again for him and no wonder the man doesn’t think right as we approach the renewal date of our beloved President Lungu. HH must focus more on his number one enemy, GBM, because come 15th August 2016, GBM will be leading the opposition UPND for 2021 polls.
PF still living in denial. It over now
You call that filling to capacity oh poor pf fellow.
Massive votes for you (HH) from many zambians in waiting. Will smoke out those that have come to rig the election. They have contributed in imposing poor leadership in most African countries. *****s
Articles on HH’s blog (Zambian watchdog) clearly contain multiple examples of flawed and biased anti-bemba journalism. I hope that the Zambian watchdog will not continue to promote hatred and bias against bembas and easterners. It is not a good reflection on their newspapers and makes me think very little of it. No wonder the disease of stupidity on ZWD/Post is spreading like ebola. HH and the ZWD have a hard time accepting that the two largest voting blocks in Zambia are in the north and east of Zambia.
Comment:since when dd u become ecz or monitoring agency just plead for favour
How does HH know how many people were at the stadium? He was not there. If he wants to talk about the media to be fair he should start by bringing his mouth piece ZWD from hiding so that the people it reports falsehood and malice on can also have a chance to sue.
There goes the dirty scumbag with his usual rantings. First take care of your body my dear. Try to look smart and please try to be changing your underwear atleast twice a day to remove that stench Mr. Vigo the untidy caveman.
Why would you write this Zeminthu Ressrrection? How does this message of yours help Edgar Lungu?
Comment:HH, my MAN!.God is with u and he will c u thro thick and thin bushes.
Which many zambians, you say many togas will vote for u. Kopala count us out u ‘illed sata we shall never forget.
*You call bembas monkeys u think they can vote for u, nega nega formular HH + UPNE + 7D = TOGA – GBM – BANDA + KAKOMA
MUKA IVOTELA MWEKA BWANA
*YOU STRIPPED AND BEAT A BEMBA LADY IN MAZABUKA BCOS SHE WAS BEMBA IF SHE WAS TONGA SHE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN BEATEN AFTER ALL THERE A LOT OF TONGA PF WOMEN WHO PUT ON PF VITENGES THERE NOT BEATEN
*DADDY CRAZY WAS BEATEN BCOS HE IS BEMBA
*TAXI DRIVERS BEING BEATEN/K ARE MAINLY BEMBAS IN SP WHY
ALL THESE HH/UPND CELEBRATES AND NO COMMENT COMES FROM HH,GBM,BANDA,KAKOMA THEY FEEL HIGH WHEN A BEMBA IS BEATEN/K
NO NO NO NO MORE THIS HH THING
VOTE YES FOR LUNGA
Thats right mr. Presdo,this dirty chap lungs & his minions shud really be told other wise we’re very much ready if lungs hapens to rig these coming general elections, period! UPND for life..
Do we have normal bembas,lundas,lambas still supporting hh only togas can do that me as a lunda no, hh has made my area nwp behind
when his areas are being sp develop,
When goes to sp i dot hear him say pf is doing nothing but when he goes to nwp he discourages pipo taking part in development.he does not love nwp indirectly.
What has he done which him can say upnd did this nothing
His mps do completely nothing look at solwezi east ,west nothing not even toilets
Only kafwaya has done us proud
It like that the whole nwp
Lets join one party with alread a national character pf where we can ve a big say then make a president one day dont follow selfish pipo u gain nothing
Vote for lungu for a change in nwp
Kalusa
We still need this man dead or alive. Whether the opposition wins or not for me they have given PF a good running and it is health for our democracy.
Mr. Sata had equally a bad time with People like you Mr. Kalusa who did not understand the importance of having the opposition. He was insulted and called all sorts of names.
But at the end of it the Zambian people benefited because the ruling party was forced to do things they would not have done if there was no opposition. So let the people who support whoever they want to support to continue. It is good for our democracy. Even this constitution amendment would not have taken place if there was no threat from the opposition. So think before you write.