This follows its announced plans of wanting to de-campaign the ruling PF ahead of the 2016 general elections owing the Parliamentary amendments that have been made to the Constitution.

The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) thinks that it is wrong for the Grand Coalition to take this route just because its demand for a people driven constitution through a referendum has not been met.

YALI governance advisor Isaac Mwale says his organization is of the view that if indeed the Grand Coalition is serving the interest of the Zambian people it should focus on the amendments that have been made to the constitution.

In an interview with Qfm News Mr. Mwanza says there are better things that have come out from amendments that have been made to the constitution.

Mr. Mwanza says the Grand Coalition should therefore be reminded that are civil society organization this is what should be its focus.

He says if however the Grand Coalition is interested in politics it should consider dissolving and forming a political party.

Meanwhile, the ruling Patriotic Front says it is not moved or threatened by the announcement by the Grand Coalition to de-campaign it in next year’s elections.

PF Secretary General Davies Chama recalls that the coalition in the run-up to this year’s presidential by-election did not support his party yet the ruling party won the election.

Mr. Chama adds that the Grand Coalition made some political parties to sign social contracts and supported those who signed yet they did not win.

He states that the resolution by the Grand Coalition to de-campaign the PF therefore has no bearing on the ruling party’s re-election next year.

And MMD Spokesperson Raphael Nakachinda says Grand Coalition members will do well to form a political party rather than taking active roles in politics.

Mr. Nakachinda says if the Grand Coalition really wants to de-campaign the PF and MMD, they should form a political movement which will actively participate in the elections rather than hiding in the name of Civil Society Organizations.

The opposition UPND is shocked and appalled by the reported tear-gassing of an in door meeting MMD President Nevers Mumba was chairing on Friday yesterday in Lundazi Eastern Province.

The UPND is particularly shocked that the teargas canister was thrown by a police officer who is supposed to be trained in handling such deadly weapons.

The UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma said that  his party finds it to be criminal and is calling upon the Police command to take appropriate disciplinary measures against the said officer and his supervisors.

Below is the full statement issued by UPND

We are shocked and appalled by the tear-gassing and harassment of MMD President Nevers Mumba and his team yesterday in Lundazi in Eastern Province where he was addressing an indoor meeting. What is even more shocking is that this teargas canister was thrown by a police officer who is supposed to be trained in handling such deadly things. This is a criminal act and we call upon the Police Service to take appropriate disciplinary measures against the officer and his supervisors.

This is a gross violation of their freedoms and democratic rights, and such behaviour should not have any place in our democratic nation. Dr Mumba was addressing an indoor meeting, which does not require a police notification. It is a illegal for the police to disrupt a peaceful meeting and perhaps Dr.Mumba should sue the Police for criminal trespass.

As we have been on the receiving end of this unwarranted force repeatedly since 2011, we truly sympathise with those who have suffered and we offer our support to any calls for redress.

Regrettably while we are dismayed by this latest attack on opposition politicians we are no longer surprised by such incidents. Under the PF these attacks and the trampling of democratic freedoms has become routine, to the detriment of our nation and to our great shame. Once again we call for reform of the Public Order Act. It has become clear that so long as it remains in its current form the PF will use it to try and justify all sorts of repression and authoritarian behaviour. In his usual rhetoric, President Lungu in his opening speech in Parliament said he is directing parliament to review the POA. Has that happened? In Lundazi, we saw deplorable Police action against innocent and peaceful citizens encouraging lawlessness instead of maintaining law and order.

There must be an end to the use of police officers for political agendas or the hope for free and fair elections in 2016 will be brought into question. President Lungu should now make a clear and public statement on this matter and openly condemn the persecution of anyone on the basis of their political affiliation. Such incidents also demonstrate why we still urgently need to secure a new Bill of Rights for Zambians which was thrown away by PF.

We once again appeal to the PF Government to channel their energies into governing and delivering on the promises they have made to the Zambian people, rather than spending their time hounding the opposition. If they could concentrate on governing then we can start to repair the damage done and improve life for citizens across the country.

Charles Kakoma
UPND Chair – Media

Copperbelt police commissioner Joyce Kasosa has expressed ignorance over the alleged attack on the UPND Ndola secretariat by suspected PF cadres; reports pan African radio Journalist Hermit Hachilonde.

She said the police will issue a comprehensive report through the public relations as soon as they gather the full information as per tradition.

The police chief said she has of late not been able to keep abreast with current affairs as a result of load-shedding.

“may you call the PRO, the PRO here she may know what happened, but am not aware because am in Lusaka and unfortunately there is load-shedding therefore I have not been listening to news, the before yesterday and yesterday i did not listen to news , but we normally send reports to the PRO, hence she might be aware and I have not communicated with my deputy on the copperbelt province, so am totally not aware, but the police will follow up and you will get detailed report of what happened whether it is true or not, Copperbelt police commissioner Joyce Kasosa said”

Suspected PF cadres on 17th December, 2015 stormed the Ndola UPND secretariat and o the lone officer to close the office or risk being brutally beaten.

Your can listen to Ms Kasosa here below

Meanwhile in a related Development Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) party officials were tear-gassed in Lundadzi where they are purported to have had unlawful assembly with their party President Dr. Nevers Mumba.

The public order Act (POA), chapter 113 of the laws of Zambia has been for some time a thorny issue in Zambia.

And Government has assured the nation that campaigns in the run-up to next year’s tripartite elections will be conducted under an amended Public Order Act (POA).

Home Affairs Minister Davies Mwila said that government is pleased that stakeholders have made submissions to amend the Public Order Act.

Mr. Mwila told QFM News that relevant stakeholders have made their submissions to the Ministry of Justice and that there is hope of amending the law before next year’s elections.

Mr. Mwila said that the Minister of Justice will soon call for a meeting with relevant stakeholders to discuss the way forward regarding the amendment of the Public Order Act in order to bring sanity to the way people assemble.

Mr. Mwila has also assured the nation that the Police service is more than ready to keep peace during next year’s elections, before adding that that government will procure all necessary equipment from the US$192 million loan before February 2016 in readiness for the polls.

PF cadres on Thursday afternoon tried to disrupt a training meeting held by FDD President Edith Nawakwi were the party was training small scale farmers and Party members how to plant Soya Beans.

The cadres insulted people at the training meeting and threatened to beat them using logs which they had earlier hidden in the over grown grass.

But FDD President Edith Nawakwi pleaded with irate members who wanted to chase the cadres led by Ben N’gombe to ignore the provocation saying “am a mother and everyone is my child regardless of the party they belong to.”

Ms. Nawakwi told her members that the party had the proud history of being a peaceful party and that the cadres had been sent to disrupt the meeting because the leadership in their party was getting jittery due to the program in which her party was not only helping farmers with seed but providing technical skills and support to ensure that those helped get maximum yield.

After failing to achieve their goal to disrupt the meeting the cadres disappeared for a short while only to reappear with police hoping to use the public order act to stop the meeting something which proved futile as the organizers had gotten a permit for meeting.

Meanwhile Kawambwa Police officer – in- charge was heard pleading with Kawambwa Central FDD aspiring Candidate Alice Kapasa to end the meeting because her permit did not indicate that Party President Edith Nawakwi would be attending the meetings.

He was heard saying the police had respect for Ms. Nawakwi as FDD President and would like to protect her. He told Ms. Kapasa that she did not understand what was happening were he was from adding that the only program they knew as Police was for the FDD Party and not the party President.

Seeing that they had failed, the cadres, who were led by Ben N’gombe from Kawambwa town embarrassingly drove off while shouting insults and threatened to burn one of the cars on the FDD entourage together with the driver.

And speaking to the police later Ms. Nawakwi told them to start protecting PF cadres because they were becoming a danger to themselves.

She stated that the provocation was getting out of hand and that one day she will not be able to control the crowd as people were getting tired of the nonsensical behaviour by the PF.

“Next time when we are having a meeting I think the word you should send to the PF is that they should be reasonable enough not interfere with other people because by the time you arrive these people would have been injured because they are just a handful against a crowd so in future the people who are in danger are the PF cadres because the provocation which they are instituting on others is too much,” the FDD leader told the police.

She also told the officer – in – charge to tell the District Commissioner to round up his cadres and ensure that they do not go round harassing people for no reason.

Ms. Nawakwi is in Kawambwa to officiate at a number of training meeting for FDD members and small scale farmers who have received Soya Beans seed under the FDD Start-Up Grants program.