THE Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) has accused the Patriotic Front (PF) of inciting violence by blocking election materials and making unfounded allegations that there are pre-marked ballot papers in the country.

FODEP executive director Macdonald Chipenzi said it was unfair to block officials on duty in Nakonde and wondered why there had been no apology after the truck was inspected and discovered that it was ferrying tapes for boundaries.

Mr Chipenzi urged the Zambia Police Service to curb lawlessness as a way of stopping further violence because such misconduct could attract angry reactions and lead to chaos. He said the conduct by the PF cadres gave an impression that every Zambian now needed more security than before and yet Zambia was a democracy where the rule of law should remain above board.

Mr Chipenzi was commenting on an incident on Saturday when PF cadres blocked trucks that were ferrying election materials in Nakonde and accused the officials of having carried pre-marked ballot papers as a way of rigging. Police service spokesperson Ndandula Siamana on Sunday disclosed that the trucks were opened and that no single ballot was found.

Mr Chipenzi said PF cadres were over-suspicious but that his main source of worry was that they were taking the law into their own hands and hoped the police could bring such behaviour to an end. He said the PF leaders should encourage their cadres to report such incidents to the police, ECZ and civil society organisations so that appropriate steps could be taken for the sake of order in the country.

“You cannot have a situation where people are taking the law into their own hands. The police must deal firmly with such behaviour. “One gets an impression that Zambians are no longer safe because of the cadres who want to take the law into their own hands,” Mr Chipenzi said.

He said the PF leaders were aware and directly involved in monitoring the printing of ballot papers in South Africa and wondered how the same party could start running allegations that ballot papers had already been printed.

Mr Chipenzi said the unfounded allegations against the ECZ and the general management of the elections would erode confidence in the voters and such could be a source of violence against innocent people.

The 16.5 million ballot papers are expected to be flown into the country on Tuesday next week in time for the presidential and general elections that take place on Tuesday, September 20, 2011.

[Times of Zambia]

United Party for National Development UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma has doubted the fairness of the forthcoming tripartite elections.

Mr. Kakoma says the allegations of corruption surrounding the preparations of the elections raise doubts of a free and fair election.

He says the entire electoral process smells of corruption because of the MMD’s alleged involvement in corrupt activities during campaigns.

Mr. Kakoma adds that reports of vote buying and violence erode public confidence in the electoral process.

He says the MMD being the ruling party should be in the forefront denouncing acts with the potential of destabilizing the country’s electoral process.

Mr. Kakoma has further called on the Movement for Multiparty Democracy to realize that Zambia does not belong to its members alone but to all Zambians.

And Kabwata Patriotic Front parliamentary aspirant Given Lubinda has vowed not give the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) any information concerning the corruption allegations against Universal Print Group.

Mr. Lubinda says he still does not see it fit to avail evidence to the ACC when it is not willing to use the evidence in national interest.

In an interview with QFM, Mr. Lubinda says as long as he is not convinced that the commission is willing to act on the matter, he will hold on to the evidence he has.

Mr. Lubinda says it would be useless for him to give the ACC more information when it is covering up the print company by not clearly stating what it knows.

Recently, the Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Dispute (SACCORD) urged the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to convene a meeting which would be a platform for individuals claiming to have evidence of the corruption of UPG to bring it out.

Mr. Lubinda says even if the ECZ was to convene a meeting, he would not give out any information concerning UPG because the ACC is pretending to be blank on the matter when in fact not.

QFM

Forum for Leadership Search Executive Director Edwin Lifwekelo has charged that Patriotic Front candidate for Chongwe Sylvia Masebo should fully be held accountable for the violence that erupted in Chongwe over the weekend.

Mr Lifwekelo has strongly dispelled media reports that the MMD cadres are the ones who perpetuated the violence.

He says highly placed sources from Patriotic Front have revealed that Ms Masebo bought PF youths alcohol sachets in order to incite them to intimidate the MMD entourage in Chongwe, to cause a fight.

He says the sources have also alleged that Ms Masebo bought baskets of tomatoes and instructed the intoxicated youths to pelt MMD sympathizers.

And Mr Lifwekelo says media reports from the Post Newspaper, alleging that the MMD is responsible for the violence are misleading.

ZNBC

The Movement for Multiparty Democracy(MMD) in Itezhi Tezhi district has written to the Electoral Commission of Zambia(ECZ) Conflict Management Committee in Itezhi Tezhi district over verbal attacks being used by the United Party for National Development (UPND) against its candidate David Diangamo.

MMD Itezhi Tezhi Constituency Campaign Coordinator Weston Mapani saying in a statement over the weekend that the ruling party has officially lodged in a complaint to the ECZ conflict management to deter UPND members from continuing their verbal against its candidate.

He said that there is need for all political parties in the district to use palatable language in order to preserve peace and order and that it was important for the conflict management to stop the trend of insulting other candidates.

“ Hakainde Hichilema has failed to hold successful rallies in the constituency as only children attend his meetings, as a result of these poor attendances, his officials have resorted to falsehoods, insults and bad language, ” Mr. Mapani said.

Efforts to get the UPND leader’s comment on the matter proved futile as his phone was on voicemail service.

However, Mr. Mapani said that most of the words being used by the UPND during their night campaigns border on criminality and they are a receipt for promoting violence.

He noted that the MMD and President Banda are the most preferred to win the elections and that entire traditional leadership in the district is behind the candidature of President Rupiah Banda and David Diangamo for parliamentary.

“Itezhi Tezhi is now all blue- MMD, Come 20th September, victory is certain” Mr. Mapani said.

[pullquote]MMD Campaign Coordinator Weston Mapani who confirmed the incidence to ZANIS, said that it was sad that the UPND leader can pulled down posters of their candidates at the police station in full view of some police officers.[/pullquote]

Meanwhile the MMD has reported a named UPND Campaign manager for allegedly insulting MMD candidate David Diangamo during his campaign trails at night.

MMD campaign coordinator Weston Mapani confirmed the development to ZANIS saying that the campaign coordinator for the UPND is at large.

He said that Police in Itezhi Tezhi district have since launched a manhunt for the UPND Campaign manager who has only been identified as Mr. Chibandika.

Further MMD have condemned UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema for allegedly pulling down campaign posters of MMD candidates President Rupiah Banda and David Diangamo that were stack on Mbila ward Local government election candidate’s vehicle.

MMD Campaign Coordinator Weston Mapani who confirmed the incidence to ZANIS, said that it was sad that the UPND leader can pulled down posters of their candidates at the police station in full view of some police officers.

He said that the action by the UPND leader borders on criminality as that was a serious offence under the revised electoral code of conduct.

He said that the party was saddened that the incidence happened at the police station and that the opposition party leader pulled down posters with impunity.

He said that the law should visit anyone regardless of what position they hold in their parties. UPND leaders were not available to comment on the matter by press time.

ZANIS

Government has trashed United Party for National Development (UPND) President Hakainde Hichilema’s allegations that it does not care about the critical water shortages in Masemu compound in Itezhi Tezhi district.

Area District Commissioner Mary Mukwiza said she doubts that the opposition leader could make such unfounded statements during the live discussion program on Itezhi Tezhi community radio station (ITT FM 91.1), recently.

Ms Mukwiza said that she found it difficult to believe that a respected senior politician like Mr. Hichilema can make such unfounded allegations, degrade the government and promote false agenda that government is doing absolutely nothing about the plight of the Itezhi Tezhi people on water.

“I find it difficult to believe that a person aspiring to be a President of this country can make such allegations on radio, degrade the government and resort to falsehood in order to gain cheap political mileage and deliberately fails to appreciates visible efforts that government is doing to alleviate the problem, “ Ms Mukwiza said.

On Thursday night UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema accused the MMD government of neglecting the people of Itezhi as evidenced by chronic water shortages, poor roads and lack of accommodation for civil servants in the district.

He said that it was sad that people of Itezhi Tezhi have been contracting asthma and Tuberculosis due to the poor state of the road saying that government has failed to reconstruct the D769 road which was once a tarred road and government has resorted to grading it.

But Ms. Mukwiza said that contrary to Mr. Hichilema’s sentiments, government through Itezhi Tezhi Power Corporation ( IPOCO )has already started constructing the US$5million water and sewerage infrastructure in Itezhi-Tezhi.

“Government of Zambia through its electricity utility, ZESCO Ltd and Itezhi Tezhi Power Corporation (ITPC) project will invest US$ 5million in water and sewerage infrastructure that will supply new houses and Masemu compound.

This development will also boost the current insufficient water because the capacity of the water plant being constructed is double the existing one” Ms Mukwiza said.

“The current water plant’s capacity is only able to supply in excess of 200 houses mainly those owned by ZESCO Ltd in Itezhi-tezhi. With this new plant we will have more than enough water for the district” Ms Mukwiza said.

The District Commissioner said that all infrastructure works on water and sewerage and others will be completed and delivered by 17 April 2012 which is just seven months time from now.

She said that SinoHydro, a reputable Chinese company that has been contracted by Itezhi Power Corporation (ITPC) to construct the power station has since moved on site and much progress has been done on the building of houses and the water and sewerage system.

She said that government is aware of the difficulties people on Masemu face in accessing water due to chronic water shortages.

She said that Government deliberately included the construction of the new water plant and sewerage system in the project because of the greater need for water in Masemu which is the most populous area in the district.

Ms Mukwiza said that UPND leader should not make cheap political mileage on issues that he does not understand well.

On the D769 road Ms Mukwiza said that the MMD government under President Rupiah Banda is has already devised a work plan to work on all major roads in the country and that Itezhi Tezhi Mongu junction road(D769) is one of those roads planned for and that government has budgeted for the reconstruction road next year.

“the issue of the feeder roads and the Main road is of great concern to the MMD government because it is one of the priority on the seven points development plan president Banda has devised and I can assure Itezhi Tezhi community that the authorities have made a work plan to reconstruct all feeder roads and the D769 road in the district, ” Ms Mukwiza said.

She said that government will soon embark on the emergency rehabilitation works on the Bachele Bridge and the Itezhi Tezhi Namwala road.

“I do not think that the people of Itezhi Tezhi would be fooled or cheated by some politicians who just make promises because they can see the numerous development programmes in the district.

She further trashed allegations that she was using a government vehicle to campaign in Mbila saying that she was a civil servant and that she is currently distributing checks for women empowerment programmes which is a government duty.

ZANIS

United Party for National Development (UPND) President Hakainde Hichilema has pledged to increase salaries, when voted as the next Republican President. Mr. Hichilema also vowed to increase the workers’ allowances and introduce a transparent and efficient tax regime for the benefit of all Zambians.

The opposition leader was speaking at a mammoth rally held at Itezhi Tezhi Basic school grounds in Itezhi Tezhi district, yesterday. He added that his party when in power will re-introduce a well designed and transparent windfall tax system that will make enough money available to increase the salaries and allowances of civil servants, the police and army with the minimum worker to get K5 million.

“UPND government will introduce an open and transparent windfall tax system that will enable us to increase salaries and allowances of civil servants so that the lowest paid will be K5 million.

“We believe that an open and transparent windfall tax system will be achieved by encouraging dialogue around tax issues which our government initiate and we believe that this system will act as a catalyst towards a more accountable political system which Zambians yearn for” Mr. Hichilema said.

He said that his government will also downsize the cabinet to 30 ministers only in order to save K800 billion which he claimed is spent on minister’s vehicles and allowances.
“We want to be an efficient government that will deliver to the people of this country. We will not have a bloated cabinet. We will restrict ourselves to 30 ministers inclusive of deputy ministers so that we can save about K800 billion which is spent on ministers vehicles and allowances” Mr. Hichilema said.

He said by downsizing the cabinet, re-introducing a transparent and fair windfall tax policy as well as introducing innovative taxing system, more money will be made available to improve health, education and road infrastructure in the country.

Mr. Hichilema said that UPND government will introduce free education policy from grade one to university level because the party believes that education is a right and not a privilege.

“We consider education as a right for everyone and we believe it is key to economic development of this country hence our resolve in our manifesto to provide it free up to university level once we form government,” the opposition leader said.

Mr. Hichilema who received applauses from the crowd at intervals, passionately appealed to civil servants, police officers and the army to join the campaign for UPND so that once they are in power, they will enjoy improved conditions services.

He encouraged the electorates in Itezhi Tezhi to accept every chitenge materials and money they are given by political parties but to vote otherwise on 20th September.
Mr. Hichilema asked the Itezhi Tezhi electorate to vote for him as President and Greyford Monde as their Parliamentarian.

Mr. Hichilema also strongly denounced politicians who are campaigning on tribal lines saying that politics of tribalism have no place in Zambia.
And in a discussion monitored on Itezhi Tezhi community Radio station (ITT FM 91.1), Mr. Hichilema sternly warned government officers against the abuse of government property for campaigns.

He said that it was an offence under electoral code of conduct for every officer to use government property that has been bought from tax payer’s money to campaign for a party of their orientation.

He further said that 20TH September 2011 is a year for the people of Zambia to vote for compassionate and corruption- free leaders that will deliver what he termed the much needed development in the country.

ZANIS