BRIAN Mundubile has called for cancelation of the Democracy Summit Zambia is expected to co-host with the United States as well as the governments of Costa Rica, the Netherlands and Republic of Korea on grounds that Zambia’s record on human rights under the UPND has been dented by human rights violations.
Mr. Mundubile, the Leader of the Opposition Patriotic Front said while government was preparing to host the Democracy Summit, Zambia was experiencing serious human rights violeation with the arrest of 22 peaceful protesters who were airing their views on a range of national issues.
Mr Mundubile said until and unless the UPND government improved its human rights record and stopped the arbitrary arrests and dentation of citizens for political reasons, Zambia was not ready to host the Democracy Summit
He said a number of journalists had recently been detentions without being charged after they were arrested for performing their duties.
Mr. Mundubile said President Hakainde Hichilema while on the Copperbelt issued derogatory remarks and investctives against his predecessor, former President Edgar Lungu apart from threatening the former head of State with arrest.
Mr Mundubile said President Hichilema was threatening Mr Lungu for only going to church for worshipping, stating that it was undemocratic for the head of State to threaten to curtail the rights and freedoms of his predecessor.
He said the human rights violation in the country were not what the international community was expecting of a Constitutional Democracy such as Zambia.
“We are a Constitutional Democracy. One eminent writer has penned thus; “The greatness of any nation lies in the fidelity to the constitution.” what we are seeing today is a violation of the Constitution in many aspects. Zambians are no longer free to assemble and associate. We had 22 Zambians who were recently arrested for merely attempting to assemble and express themselves over a range of national matters they were aggrieved with. We must not just be preaching democracy, we must indeed be seen to be practising it and our governance should be based on the rule of law and not at the whims of those in leadership,” Mr Mundubile said.
Mr. Mundubile said the country had seen a shrinking media and civic space under UPND and that it was feared that the UPND could turn out to be the most oppressive government ever.
“To host a Democracy Summit at a time like this will be very difficult. It shall be difficult in the sense that you cannot be sitting in a room discussing democracy when you have your citizens being opressed,” he said.
Mr. Mundubile wondered what the UPND administration would present at the Summit given the many examples of violation of Human Rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.
“We want to see what kind of poetry government officials are going to present at the Summit given that they have not acted democratically in many instances,” Mr Mundubile said.
I’m sure you understand that this summit isn’t Zambia’s initiative. It’s the US that has imposed it on their puppet. It’s a Yankee agenda. It doesn’t matter how you feel about it, there’s nothing to do with us. I doubt if you as the largest opposition party will even be insulted. Others are only excited because it gives them an opportunity to abuse allowances. They’ll also be arrested in future like has happened at MoF.
I doubt if you as the largest opposition party will even be invited
These PF chaps are so nauseating. After having precided over the most brutal, evil, corrupt and tribal govt this country has ever witnessed, what moral right do they have to comment over human rights. They talk as if they are out to annoy Zambians. So disgusting
It is this kind of thinking that continues to deny Zambia the possibility of breaking away from it’s horrible past. Unfortunately for you @Miti, it is not what the opposition say it do that drives us forward but the government in power! They hold the power to break away from a past of hatred and misuse of power. Only the government in power can free us by raising the bar of leadership. We are to desperate for growth to also leave room for “wanya wanya” kind of politics!
What a load of hogwash.
Zambia has the only truly democractic government in Africa.
The government that this joker was a part a part of was the most repressive and corrupt that the continet has ever seen and now this low brain has the audacity to talk such nonsense.
Just the mere fact he could utter such nonsense shows that free speech and democracy has returned to Zambia.
They will be gathering to brief the harvesters on the get rich quick schemes before our opposition start making noises. Muzungu does not waste time, they are coming to dig deep trenches and by the time you realise they will be long gone.
“I will arrest HH next week after I win-President Lungu”…Lusakatimes August 7, 2021
This is threat that was issued by the then president of the perceived democratic party that can’t even allow democracy in their own party who handpicking their own preferred members of the central committee.
What we’re now reading from this not so honest lawyer is a sheer lack of decency. This man is a very poor excuse for a joke. He belongs to a group of thugs that still think Zambians are soft in the head. As right thinking citizens, we wish to distance ourselves from the statements issued by this representative of thugs.
Very wise words from a wise man.
The toilets in my office on a Monday smell of beer faeces. I might have to ban my employees from drinking
VERY DULL PF ASPIRING PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE. HE DOESNT UNDERSTAND THE PRINCIPLES OF A NON ALIGNED NATION. ZAMBIA NEEDS ALL THE OTHER NATION. AND BY THE CAN MUNDBILE BE ELECTED NATIONAL WIDE AS A REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT?