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The Tonse Pamodzi Alliance has called for the resignations of Electoral Commission of Zambia Chairperson, Mwangala Zaloumis, Zambia Army Commander, Geoffrey Zyeele, and Inspector General of Police, Graphel Musamba, for what it termed the inappropriate handling of the August, 13 General Elections.
Addressing the media in Lusaka on Monday at the Forum for Democracy and Development Seceretariat, Alliance Deputy Spokesperson, Anthony Chibuye, said the conduct of key state institutions during and after the polls had fallen below public expectation.
“The conduct of these public officers has fallen below public expectation and amounts to betrayal of public trust. Their conduct in the extreme scenario amounts to threatening state security,” Chibuye stated.
He added that what happened during the announcement of election results was a military coup on the civilians and that subsequent actions including the closing of the courts bordered on constitutional breaches.
The Alliance further accused the UPND government of becoming increasingly authoritarian and suppressing dissent, saying it will not be silenced over allegations of electoral fraud.
Chibuye said the current administration did not want citizens to denounce what the alliance described as widespread irregularities witnessed during the polls.
He drew comparisons to 2016, when he said the then opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema was allowed to freely challenge the election of President Edgar Lungu without victimization by security wings.
“No police, no army or any security wing victimized him in any way. He enjoyed his right to free speech uncensored,” Chibuye said.
He noted that even after an alleged convoy obstruction in Western Province, only the Zambia Police arrested the then opposition leader, and despite accusations of training militias, “no guns were fired at civilians but only teargas.”
Chibuye also rejected what he termed concocted and frivolous treason charges against the Alliance President and other members.
“Concocted and frivolous charges of treason leveled against our President and many of our colleagues are fake just as many have called them including the UN rights organizations,” he stated.
The Deputy Spokesperson also accused the UPND of shrinking democratic space and cracking down on dissent, but said the Alliance was ready for dialogue.
“We recognize that many institutions including the church have called for dialogue and unity. This is very welcome and we are ready to engage in dialogue which is based on honesty and facts,” he said.
Chibuye further rejected claims by some government officials that the Alliance was a militia.
“We shall not tolerate the current behavior of the UPND and some government officials calling us to be a militia. This label we refuse. And we maintain that our Leaders are innocent and must be set free,” he said.
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