By IREEN MULENGA
The Continental Leadership Research Institute (CLR) has called on the Zambia Police to ensure that they have standard operating procedures.
Commenting on the statement by Police Inspector General Kakoma Kanganja regarding the distribution of face masks, CLRI Executive Director Paul Mundia said the Police should not be seen to be favoring one political party in their implementation of the law.
Mr Mundia said that the Police should provide a fair playing field which gives all political parties space to freely operate as regards political activities.
“The Continental Leadership Research Institute CLRI has noted the remarks that have come from the Inspector General on the issue of the distribution of face masks. It is important that we have standard operating procedures that are going to guide the way we are going to operate.
“As an Institute we believe that the Police have a serious burden of responsibility to ensure that the electoral process has a fair playing field for all stakeholders that are there. The way they are going to operate is to ensure that all stakeholders have whether the ruling or the opposition have enough space to ensure that they operate,” he said
He said if the ruling Patriotic Front is going to distribute the face masks then the opposition should be able to do the same without any restrictions from the Police.
“What we are calling upon the Police is to ensure that they have standard operating procedures in the way they are going to handle issues of enforcement. Let us not cherry pick how we are going to enforce the law, let us enforce the law effectively and across board without favoring a particular party as that is the only way we are going to ensure that we maintain our peace. Violence and unrest is when institutions of governance such as the Police are not seen to be enforcing the law equally,” he said.
