PF blocking our Kasama card renewal exercise – UPND

Mucheleka 

United Party for National Development (UPND) Deputy Secretary General  for Politics Patrick Mucheleka  has charged that the ruling PF is scared of his party’s popularity.

Mucheleka says the gimmick to stop the UPND from conducting the card renewal exercises is a clear demonstration that PF is finished.

Speaking when he featured on UNZA Radio live phone in programme, Mucheleka says the UPND is the only party with clear policies that can create a functional governance system.

He says the UPND 10-point plan has all sectors properly structured, unlike the PF’s aimless approach to governance issues.

Mucheleka says the UPND will make the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) more autonomous.

“ECZ is rotten and requires serious reforms. It has no capacity to hold free and fair elections,” Mucheleka has said.

“It is not for Edgar Lungu to tell us where we should print ballot papers. ECZ is supposed to follow tender procedures to determine who should print ballot papers.”

Mucheleka says the UPND shall not interfere with statutory bodies like the Judiciary and the Zambia Police Service.

He says the non-interference will be done through various law reforms so that our men and women in uniform are free to work in their own country.

“Why should the PF start retiring people in national interest? This is very sad indeed. Police officers are now scared and that is why they have failed to allow us to conduct our card renewal exercise in Kasama, citing cholera outbreak .I have never heard of any single case of cholera in Kasama. These are PF tactics because they know that PF is finished. You saw what happened in Eastern Province, thousands of people turned up for the UPND card renewal…and that is what the PF does not want to see,” He said.

The UPND official further says the mines will be better run so that the nation shifts away from making copper the only traditional export.

“We shall promote diversification so that agriculture is made more competitive in the region. Agriculture can bring serious revenues to the national treasury if it is prudently managed”.

“In a short term, we want our GDP to grow at 7 percent and in a long term at over 10 percent. It is possible if we put in measures that are progressive.”

And when asked on what basis president Hakainde Hichilema was calling for Edgar Lungu’s impeachment , Mr Mucheleka said Edgar Lungu has continued to violate the constitution by  the manner he is interfering in the  work of  Judicial officers , his failure to uphold the rule of law and abuse of human rights.

“You have a president who goes in public to justify theft. In Bemba we say ‘apakomaila nondo ninshi pali ubulema (there is no smoke without fire)’.”