LUSAKA MMD information and publicity secretary Greenock Lupambo has refuted reports in the media that provincial chairperson William Banda incited violence at the party’s rally held in Chongwe last weekend.

Mr Lupambo said it was not true that Mr Banda physically attacked villagers in Chongwe Waterfalls area on Saturday in full view of more than 40 police officers because he was not at the scene where the alleged harassment of the villagers took place.

He also said it was not true that President Banda threatened to dethrone Chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II if MMD won the September 20 elections and that he had accused her of intimidating sub-chiefs and village headmen over their political stance.

Mr Lupambo said President Banda in his speech called on the chieftainess to embrace all her subjects despite their different political affiliations because they were her children.

“It is not true that President Banda is going to take away the chieftainship from Mukamambo II if he wins the elections. The media should avoid blowing issues out of proportion,” he said.

Mr Lupambo said it was not true that the police tolerated the harassment of Chongwe people by MMD cadres because they were a formidable side which could not be overpowered by any group of cadres.

He said having been among the organisers and supervisors of the rally, he was not aware about any violence perpetrated by MMD cadres. He said Mr Banda was not at the scene because he was in the presidential entourage.

Meanwhile, more than 300 Patriotic Front (PF) and United Party for National Development (UPND) members in Lusaka Province yesterday defected to the MMD, citing better service delivery in the ruling party.

[Times of Zambia]

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