By Isaac Zulu
UPND had criminalized legitimate checks and balances being offered by those in the opposition, says Citizens First leader Harry Kalaba
In a statement, Kalaba argued that opposition political parties that are offering checks and balances to the UPND administration’s actions and decisions are merely exercising their Constitutional rights, stating that Zambia is not a one party state.
Kalaba, who also served as Foreign Affairs Minister in the Patriot Front government, observed that in a multi-party democracy; like Zambia, opposition political parties should be at liberty to question government policies and decisions.
“Zambia is not a one-party state but a multi-party democracy where opposition parties are free to question government policies, decisions and actions,” Kalaba stated. “Criticising government over some of its decisions and actions opposition political party leaders are simply exercising their constitutional rights.”
The former Bahati member of parliament charged that the UPND government has criminalised legitimate checks and balances being provided by opposition political party leaders.
“The United Party for National Development (UPND) has criminalised legitimate checks and balances by opposition party leaders,” stated Kalaba further.
“Zambia is not a one-party state. What we are doing is part of our democracy which we ascribed to in 1991.”
Several eminent persons and organisations, including the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) have lately raised serious concerns on police brutality against political opponents of President Hakainde Hichilema.
