Defend yourselves, FDD tells opposition
By Thandizo Banda
OPPOSITION political parties should devise defensive mechanisms against violent ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres, the Forum for Development and Democracy (FDD) has said.
Commenting on the politically motivated violence perpetuated by UPND cadres, FDD spokesperson Anthony Chibuye warned that if nothing was done by the Police and the ruling party to stop the violence, then Zambians and opposition political parties would be left with no option but to defend themselves.
Chibuye said an attack on one opposition member was an attack on all.
“As a party, we also wish to appeal to our colleagues in the Patriotic Front (PF) to understand that it is impossible to expect justice and fairness from the judiciary that is compromised and police full of UPND cadres,” he said.
Chibuye said the UPND was a government of thugs pretending to be angels when what was in their hearts was nothing but bitterness, anger, and vengeance.
“This is a government of thugs who are pretending to be angels. Brothers and sisters in PF, we urge you strongly to move away from running to the same people who are the architects of your problems. It’s time we rethink our strategies, and that strategy is to go out there and encourage our people to stand united and guard against one another,” he said.
Chibuye said instead of running to the current police system, which was compromised, the opposition should mobilise in huge numbers and protect themselves from any harm by the UPND-sponsored violence.
“In this regard, the FDD wishes to call upon all opposition political parties under the Tonse Alliance, UKA, United Front, and others to urgently convene a general meeting for our security sections to discuss defense strategies as we enter this crucial period of elections.
It’s clear that the behavior of the UPND cadres will give us problems during voting and vote counting, as they will use violence to steal our votes. So, we should not wait for this to happen,” Chibuye said.
He said there was a need to beef up security in the opposition ranks.
