By Patson Chilemba
State House has told the opposition leaders being arrested that they are simply lawbreakers and their arrests have nothing to do with shrinking democratic space in the country.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, State House Communications analyst Clayson Hamasaka said opposition leaders in the country were provoking the law.
“Can we just request even our colleagues also in the opposition not to be provoking the law? I am not saying not to be provoking the President or provoking me or whatever, but not to be provoking the law, not to be inviting the law to visit them,” Hamasaka said. “These are old people. They know the laws.”
Hamasaka said part of enhancing democracy also involved enhancing the rule of law, saying the government was not arresting opposition leaders.
“The issue is simple between the law and the law breakers,” Hamasaka said. “So the people being arrested are law breakers, not opposition leaders. Otherwise Patson, even you, you form a political party, become lawless, and then just say no each time you are being arrested even for anything, ati because I am opposition leader.”
He said when it comes to law breakers, the law does not choose whether one leads a political party, a Church or some other organisation.
“The law will not choose,” said Hamasaka.
The opposition leaders have charged that President Hakainde Hichilema is arresting opposition leaders in order to hide from his failures on high mealie meal prices, high fuel prices and the high cost of living, despite having promised to reduce the price of 25kg bags of mealie meal to K50, fuel to below K13 per liter, fertilizer to K250 and stabilise the Kwacha, which is now rushing towards K24 to US$1.
However, Hamasaka simply said there were no failures on the part of the President as far as he was concerned.
Several opposition leaders and politicians in the country have been arrested on various charges or summoned before the law enforcement since President Hakainde Hichilema assumed office. Among those arrested in recent days including PeP leader Sean Tembo, Socialist Party leader leader Dr Fred M’membe, PF vice-president Given Lubinda, secretary general Raphael Nakachinda, PF chairperson for publicity Emmanuel Mwamba and FDD leader Edith Nawakwi.
Others who have been arrested include NDC leader Saboi Imboela, PF presidential aspirant Chishimba Kambwili, former PF secretary general Mumbi Phiri among others.
