Election watchdog warns UPND over POA, parties bill

Election watchdog warns UPND over POA, parties bill

By Ludia Ngwadzai 

OPERATIONS Young Vote (OYV) executive director Guess Nyirenda has urged government to enact amendments to the Public Order Act and the Political Parties Bill, warning that leaders in power today should not ignore reforms they demanded while in opposition.

On the sidelines of a press briefing held in Lusaka, Nyirenda questioned whether the UPND wanted to lament louder on the Public Order Act when it found itself in opposition” just like the Patriotic Front (PF) is doing now.

He said Zambian politics was often played to the extent that we are comfortable ourselves because we are in the driving seat.

Nyirenda recalled that the Public Order Act has been a contentious issue for years.

“Michael Sata complained against it when he was in the opposition., remember when he was teargassed on a public bus? The moment he came into power he forgot about it,” he said.

Nyirenda said that the UPND campaigned on changing the law, citing incidents where President Hakainde Hichilema was blocked and told to have a passport to go to Eastern Province.

He said there is goodwill from citizens to have a new Public Gatherings Bill enacted and the need for the Political Parties Bill, which he linked to electoral integrity.

“Article 60 of the Constitution is dormant. That article should have been given life by a Political Parties law. Look at what is happening with Registrar of Societies and political parties, it’s quite sad,” Nyirenda said.

“If we really want our democracy to grow, I think these are some of the low-hanging fruits that we should pluck and utilise,” he said.

“There’s no permanence in governance. Those who are empowered today should not relax and think that they will be powerful forever.”

Nyirenda cited past administrations who thought they would rule forever.

“Our first president ruled for 27 years and thought it was forever. FTJ wanted third term. PF were saying they will rule for 50 years but they only ruled for 10 years. MMD just for 20 years,” he said.

Nyirenda argued that current leaders should consider how today’s laws would affect them once they were in opposition.

“Will they be happy with what is happening? Are these laws going to sit well with them? We don’t hold life in our hands. The owner of life, who is God, may decide today I am taking your life,” he said.

He urged leaders to govern for the benefit of all.

“Let’s put things right for everyone, so that those in opposition enjoy, those in church enjoy, and everyone else enjoys. Even when you come to be in the opposition you don’t lament like the PF today is lamenting because they should have changed the Public Order Act when they had the time but chose not to,” Nyirenda said.

“So, does the UPND want to lament louder than the PF by continuing with the current Public Order Act? I don’t think so. Let’s do it for mother Zambia, let’s do it for all of us and our country,” he said.