Deputy Inspector General of Police Solomon Jere has charged that for as long as the political parties do not follow the right procedure to seek permission to go for a peaceful demonstration, they will not be granted the permission.

Dr. Jere says there is also need for the political parties in the country to understand that there is a procedure for them to follow before being granted permission to have their peaceful demonstration.

The Police Deputy IG also notes that the law is very clear that the notification should be submitted at least seven days before the day of doing a peaceful demonstration.

He has particularly singled out the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) as one of the political parties that should not even complain that it was denied permission to have the peaceful demonstration at parliament buildings.

He says police denied granting permission to the UPND because the opposition political party did not meet all the requirements.

The opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) says it is heart breaking that almost 50 years of independence, the country could still have politicians who lack basic understanding and the urgency for a new constitution which they themselves promised.

In a statement to Qfm news this afternoon party President Hakainde Hichilema has observed that such lack of integrity and honesty by the party in government is what does not inspire his party to urge its youths to participate in national day celebrations.

Mr. Hichilema says like many other citizens, the youths in the country have also been allegedly equally cheated by the Patriotic Front (PF) government on many things.

Mr. Hichilema notes that it was only on Tuesday yesterday, that the hopes of the youths whom he says are the future generations were again allegedly trashed by the PF Members of Parliament who voted against the constitutional motion that would have given clear road map for a people driven constitution.

The UPND leader further notes that this is why his party finds it difficult to celebrate when the youths are still struggling to get into school and are struggling to make ends meet.

The opposition leader has since urged youths in the country to take this time to reflect on the Zambia they want to live in and then see who can deliver that Zambia for them as his party the UPND is the already known answer.

And Mr. Hichilema has reaffirmed his party’s commitment to the provision of quality and affordable education through a well-managed and professional bursary scheme that will not discriminate or be based on who you know once it comes in power.

He says his party is also looking forward to the provision of quality health services, especially reproductive health aimed at adolescents.

The oppositions Forum for Democracy and Development (FFD) says it has stopped its youths from taking part of this year’s Youth Day celebrations due to high levels of poverty.

FDD Spokesperson, Antonio Mwanza, has told QFM News in an interview that another reason why his party has denied its youths to take part in this year’s youth day celebrations is due to the fact that the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) has allegedly lamentably failed to address the sufferings of the youths.

Mr. Mwanza says this is why his party decided to direct all its youths not to be part of this year’s celebrations because the ruling PF has also failed to deliver the constitution to the people of Zambia.

And Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) National chairperson Kabinga Pande says youths that have decided to shun today’s youth day celebration have their own reasons for doing so which should be respected.

Mr. Pande says if it is the desire of the youths in the country not to celebrate the youth day, no one should force them saying any democratic country should allow divergent views and decisions from anyone.

He adds that it is definite that the youths have good reasons for not participating in this year’s youth day stressing that MMD being the mother of democracy lets its youths to do as they wish and desire as long as it has no harm.

The opposition Alliance for Better Zambia (ABZ) had also earlier announced that it was not going to participate in this year’s Youth Day commemoration in protest against the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) failure to fulfill its promise on the country’s new constitution.

I fully acknowledge and appreciate that today is youth day.

However, it is not out of lack of patriotism that I have supported the stand taken by our UPND youths and their counter parts from other opposition political parties that have chosen to stay away from any sort of celebrations on this day.

We find it totally heart breaking that almost 50 years of independence, we still have politicians who lack basic understanding and urgency for a new constitution which they promised themselves.

This lack of integrity and honesty by our colleagues in government does not inspire us to urge our youths to emulate and participate in national day celebrations.

Like many other citizens, the youths were equally cheated by the PF government on many things.

The large number of our youths that are largely responsible for putting PF in office voted them on the premise that they would urgently deliver a constitution that would guarantee basic fundamental freedoms and human rights that would ensure accountability and good governance.

But just yesterday, the hopes of the youths who are the future generations were again trashed by the PF MPs who voted against our motion that would have given clear road map for a people driven constitution.

Our youths were also cheated on the provision of decent and permanent jobs, and yet our colleagues in the PF have not come back and explain to the youth why the jobs have not been created.

We find it difficult to encourage our youths to celebrate under an environment where we have a President who, while launching a project at the airport, was told that youths were killing each other a few meters from where he was, he decided to ignore and chose to run away.

We find it difficult to celebrate when the youths are still struggling to get into school, and when they are struggling to make ends meet.

Each year we offload more than 150,000 grade twelve school leavers without any glimmer of hope that they will ever live in a country where advancement is limited only by your ability and not lack of opportunities as the case is with Zambia.

Let me take this opportunity to reaffirm my commitment to the youth when we take over Government.

As UPND, we reaffirm our commitment to the provision of quality and affordable education through a well-managed and professional bursary scheme that will not discriminate or be based on who you know.
We are also looking forward to the provision of quality health services, especially reproductive health aimed at adolescents.

My pledge to create jobs for the youths has not been shelved. I have shared some of the strategies with the current Government but they are not interested. When I write, they respond by calling me names. We are of the view that Government cannot and will never create enough jobs to absorb the youths. The best option is to promote youth entrepreneurs who will in turn create employment for others.

That is the only sustainable way to ensure that jobs will be created. We are importing a lot of things that can be manufactured in Zambia by our youths if we have the right policy mix and adequate venture capital.

We are constructing roads and none of the youth are involved in that road construction, simply because there is no deliberate policy in Government to do contract discrimination to benefit the women and youth that can supply building materials to construction companies.

On this youth day, my message is simple, come 2016, let us work together and ensure that we vote for the UPND that will deliver true economic freedom and opportunities for our youth to thrive.

We voted for a Government that promised jobs to youths but is now employing people that are above retirement age. Let us not make this mistake again, twachula pafula.

Take this time to reflect on the Zambia you want to live in and then see who can deliver that Zambia for you, we already know the answer, UPND.

For now, we can only urge you to be good citizens and refrain from being used for violent behavior and other socially unacceptable vices.

Hakainde Hichilema,
President
___________________________
UPND Information (PI Dept)

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Mr Maxwell Nkole died at his Foxdale Township home in Lusaka in the early hours of this morning after an illness.

Mr Nkole was appointed Chairperson of the Task force on corruption by the late President Levy Mwanawasa in 2005 and served until 2009 when his contract expired under the Rupiah Banda Government.

President Michael Sata then appointed Mr Nkole Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs in October, 2011, the position he held until he was retired in national interest in November 2013.

Mr Nkole is survived by six children and 10 grandchildren.

The Movement for Multiparty Democracy stands solidly with the aspirations of all the youth in our Nation.

We are aware of the anxiety and fears of all our young people as they look at the diminishing opportunities in our country. As we seek to celebrate youth day, we are mindful of the many difficulties which confront our youth. The issue of unemployment remains a painful setback to the well being of our youth. The high cost of education has made it difficult for many families to break the grip of poverty. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has continued to threaten the lives of many of our young people.

[pullquote]It has become absolutely clear that march pasts have become the only youth programs in the nation[/pullquote]
It has become absolutely clear that march pasts have become the only youth programs in the nation. The PF government has no road map to pull our youth out of the ditch of despondency.

The New MMD back in government will ensure that compulsory education is introduced for all Zambians in order to eliminate both poverty and ignorance. In order to build a modern progressive society, education must once again become the number one priority.

In the health sector, a lot of our youth have fallen through the cracks of a non working health policy of the PF. Most families cannot afford to take their young to the hospital because of lack of funds. The New MMD back in government will ensure an equitable scheme that allows all Zambians access to medical care.

As we celebrate Youth day, our young are walking the streets with university degrees but without jobs. This is extremely painful for families across the country. Due to a lack of clear economic policy by the PF, investors have either stopped their usual trek to Zambia or they have now with held further investment into our economy. This diminished economic activity continues to subtract from the few jobs on the market.

MMD believes that Zambia has what it takes to provide the necessary goods and services equitably to all Zambians including the youth. The current crisis the nation faces is that of leadership and clarity of vision for the youth.
We call upon all youth to place a demand on government to ensure that youth programmes and benefits are extended to all youth and not PF youth only.
Happy youth day.

UPND president Hakainde Hichilema says his party feels vindicated that its concerns with regards to the respect of human rights by the PF government have been highlighted by the 2013 US Human Rights report for Zambia.

The 2013 US Human Rights Practices in Zambia has outlined a number of human rights concerns including restriction to the freedom to assemble and several attempts to stifle freedom of speech.

Mr. Hichilema said he is happy that what his party and other opposition political parties had earlier reported to the Commonwealth is now being revealed by the US government.

The UPND leader said the report is a further confirmation that there are no human rights in Zambia and that the rule of law has allegedly broken down under the PF government.

He said from the report it is also clear that the PF government is allegedly brutal and dictatorial.

Meanwhile when contacted for a comment on how government viewed concern of restriction to the freedom to assemble which the US Human Rights Practices in Zambia report has brought out, Home Affairs Minister Ngosa Simbyakula declined to comment saying he had not yet studied the report which was released two weeks ago.