By MAIMBO MWEEMBA
The Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) says they are shocked with the impromptu decision by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to suspend all UPND campaigns in Kanyama Constituency.
The decision was made on account of the recent violence in which two suspected PF cadres were killed by unknown people.
PeP President Sean Tembo says that the county will be going to polls in 9 days away and the decision by ECZ effectively gives an undue upper-hand to the PF to win the Kanyama Parliamentary seat.
“Our considered view is that there is no evidence on the basis on which ECZ should invoke such punitive action against UPND. Up to now, the police have not arrested a single suspect related to the brutal murder of the two alleged PF supporters. The only suspects that the police have arrested are the 42 who were apprehended in Kanyama area during a clean-up operation following the murders, and who were charged with possession of offensive weapons,” he said.
Mr Tembo has since called upon the Electoral Commission of Zambia to immediately lift the suspension of UPND campaign activities in Kanyama Constituency because they lack evidence on which to premise such a drastic action.
He said that PeP has no doubt that the ECZ has acted in a biased manner by suspending campaign activities for UPND in Kanyama when the police are still investigating the murders of two alleged PF supporters and they have not yet apprehended any suspects for the murders.
