Bt Fred M’membe President of the Socialist Party
While the assurance or promise by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Charity Katanga, to level the politically play field as far as the administration of the public order Act is concerned is welcome, it has come rather late.
Deputy inspector general Katanga says police will not allow a situation where one political party monopolises holding of campaigns ahead of the presidential and general elections.
This was supposed to be the policy and practice of the police over the past five years and not just over 30 days to August 12, 2021.
And given the record of the police, as we know it, we doubt the police’s ability to deliver on this assurance or promise of a level political play field.
There’s indeed a need to level the political playing field so that no political party has the advantage of running downhill against opponents who are handicapped by having to run uphill. Arguably, one way to ensure that each party and each candidate is treated fairly is to provide precisely the same opportunities as they all require an equal opportunity to put their case to the voters.
An uneven playing field is a central component of this regime’s political survival strategy. In today’s Zambia multiparty, democratic competition is undermined not only by fraud or repression but also by unfair administration of the public order Act, unequal access to resources, public media, and state institutions.
When opposition is denied the right to hold rallies, meetings, access to public mass media, their ability to compete in elections—and survive between elections—is often impaired.
Where the playing field is skewed, the weakening, collapse, and/or cooptation of parties may effectively depopulate the opposition, even in the absence of large-scale repression. A skewed playing field may thus allow this autocratic regime to maintain power without resorting to the kind of fraud or repression that can undermine its international standing, allowing it, in effect, to its cake and eat it too.
Iwe Fred, if you say it’s too late, kanshi as we were!
The political playing field has never been level from the time some people took over power. Otherwise they can lose and they know it
GO BACK TO SLEEP IWE >>>>>> LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD ?? YOU SAY, THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN WITH THIS GOVERNMENT
POWER IS TOO SWEET FOR THEM AS WITHOUT IT THEY ARE JUST NOTHING
Lungu and his gang of theives can never win any free and fair election………
IF WE ALLOWED FIFA TO CONDUCT OUR ELECTONS, WE WOULD HAVE A TRANSPARENT, ACCOUNTABLE AND PROGRESSIVE SYSTEM. NOW HERE WE ARE, THE WORST OF OUR CROP DETERMINE OUR STANDARDS.
SHAME!
M’membe cannot win any election. Even his own wife will be standing and voting for UPND.
The same UPND opposed the bill to review this act. As it stands the police will just be implementing it as it is.
When Sata was in power, PF & The Police – was a Political Machinery you used to harass HH and RB.
You used the { Office of the Director of Public Prosecution } to destroy many innocent people with constant police harassment because of the hateful soul you have in you.
Do you really understand what the ” Level Playing Field ” is all about?
Forget about level playing field in
Africa. Did you have level playing
Field when running the post?Did
You pay taxes to make it level?
Uncle Fred ran The Post as he runs the Socialist Party: as the communist regime of Cuba, and those dictators there think and act the same as the corrupt PF government; not much social behaviour there!
ECL cannot win free and fair Elections and Lungu knows it. The only way 4 Lungu to remain in Power is to rig the Election thru various schemes. ECL abandoned the old Voters Roll in order to manipulate the New Voters Roll in his favour. This he has already done. The other tactics were to control all Electoral Institutions in Zambia and hence ECZ,ZPS,Concourt and the Public Service are all State Captured. That is why ECL will be endorsed by Concourt for a Third Term. That is why ECL said this:”In 2015 and 2016 u voted me out but I am still here”. “In 2021 and beyond I will still be there “. In case people protest against stolen Elections in 2021 ECL has heavily armed ZPS to crush any Public Protest against rigged Elections. Hence violent, rigged and disputed Elections in 2021 in…
Comrade Fred, my bus driver colleagues are waiting for your rally in Lusaka. We will provide free transport to poor Zambians to attend your rallies.
Zambia for all but Lungu and crony capitalists shall fall
The chicken’s have come to roast KBF is standing for presidency. No intimidation or violence will stop him.
Watch this space.
I don’t know why LT thinks that Fred can help opposition to seize power. He has been fighting Zambian governments all his life. Let other people contribute new ideas. Mm’MBE’s ideas are too stale.