Free, fair elections not possible – Silumbe
By Mast Reporter
FREE and fair elections in Zambia are unattainable, as all institutions of governance are colluding and driving a United Party for National Development (UPND) agenda, says Leadership Movement (LM) president Dr Richard Silumbe.
Commenting on the unfolding events exposing the Registrar of Societies (RS) and the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) over attempts to controversially help the UPND to weaken the opposition in the country, Dr Silumbe said Zambia was headed for disaster.
He said at the moment institutions such as the ECZ, the Zambia Police Service, the Judiciary, the Registrar of Societies were heavily compromised to hold free and fair elections.
“…in its current form, these institutions of governance have lost respect, public trust and integrity to hold free and fair elections,” he said.
Dr Silumbe said strange things were happening at ECZ, the Police and RS to disadvantage political competitors in the country’s electoral process, warning that if institutions of governance continued to participate in illegalities, the future of the country was bleak and dead.
“Strange things are happening in our country; the future of democracy in this country is bleak. Zambians cannot have hope for free and fair elections in August if institutions of governance are participating in illegalities, if institutions of governance are colluding with those in power to cement dictatorship. This is what is happening in my country. The ECZ is making democratic governance unattainable while the judiciary seems to have joined a cartel to protect the rich and the powerful at the same time, promoting lawlessness in the manner they are administering justice,” he said.
He said the principles of governance were low under the UPND rule, while uncertainty about the future of governance grips the nation.
Dr Silumbe said fear, desperation and grief had engulfed the nation as a result of a compromised governance system which promotes dictatorship.
“Look at the confusion in the judiciary, look at the confusion at parliament, look at the desperation by the police to protect the powerful and those politically connected to the ruling party and you want to call that fairness? We are no longer safe, we have nowhere to run to, this country is destroyed to the core, and if we continue on this trajectory beyond August, there shall be nothing to point at for the future,” he said.
He said Zambia was headed for a one-party state after the August elections.
Dr Silumbe said the schemes by those in leadership were scaring and threatening democratic governance in the nation.
“…this is clear, those men and women we have in the judiciary are helping this government to turn Zambia into a one-party state, the police, too, the ECZ is their handbook on how the plan will be executed, while the Registrar of Societies is laying a foundation of a one-party state. This is evil, a scheme,” he said.
He urged Zambians to open up their eyes and fight for redemption or die a painful death of betrayal to the nation.
Dr Silumbe said the August election would not be about transformation but a third independence to freedom and self-rule.
“We are in a bondage, a self-inflicted bondage and if we don’t fight, my brothers and sisters, we are headed for doom. Fear has gripped all institutions of governance and no one is ready to stop the rot in the judiciary, in the police, at parliament and even in the church, this is how deep routed fear has gripped Zambians, people are not talking, journalists cannot function independently, civil servants have become cadres and praise singers of salt sana which is choking them, the labour movement has become a platform of real betrayal of Zambian workers, the Human Rights Commission has also joined abusers of rights and freedoms they should have been protecting and speaking for, the court have become an assembly of jungle laws, institutions such as ACC, DEC and others have become houses to cleanse corruption and corrupt elements in government,” he said.
Dr Silumbe said it was shocking and heartbreaking how the once vibrant Civil Society Organisations have become dormant and compromised.
“They cannot speak without a pay cheque. This is how democracy in Zambia has hit a snag. It is dead and the only few individuals remaining to protect and defend democracy and the constitution are all facing fake charges in court, the very courts seemingly driving a wicked agenda against Zambians,” he said.
He warned that freedom and constitutionalism would remain just a dream if the people continued avoiding speaking out about the governance of the nation.
“This regime is cruel and it is using poverty, unemployment, hunger, and other economic injustices to inflict and subdue Zambians into submission to bad governance. If civil servants refuse to obey political instructions to parade at the airport for choking salt sana songs, they are fired. If the church demands accountability, they are called opposition. Students have been turned into useful idiots; intellectuals have been turned into moribund and cowardly, while the justice system favours politically connected individuals. This is not the Zambia our forefathers fought for. I wish we had listened to the timely warning Dr Kenneth Kaunda made, look where we are now,” he said.
He urged the ECZ to redeem itself from its narrow interest to protect the UPND rule.
