ZAMBIA: CSOs condemn verbal attacks on diplomats

By: Ollus Ndomu

The Operation Young Vote-OYV- has condemned verbal attacks targeted at the United States charge d’ affairs to Zambia David Young and British High Commissioner to Zambia Nicholas Wooley following the diplomats’ comments on the country’s electoral process.

OYV spoke Monday, following a Sunday statement by the Democracy Motherland and Defenders Coalition which warned the two diplomats against commenting on Zambia’s electoral process.

Mr. Young and Mr. Wooley issued statements last week which alleged that Zambia’s 2021 electoral process is not free and fair adding that the ruling Patriotic Front -PF- is using Covid-19 to disadvantage its political opponents.

OYV Acting Executive Director Isaac Mwale told local media that observations made by Mr. Young and Mr. Wooley about the country’s shrinking democratic space and restricting of the opposition political parties to campaign and canvass for votes are true.

Mr. Mwale observed that the questioning and belittling of Patricia Scotland of the Commonwealth on her role in the last week’s Peace Pedge by politicians, is cheap and erode the confidence of the International Community in the country’s electoral system.

Less than four weeks ahead of Zambia’s highly contested General Elections slated for August 12, the ruling party is allegedly abusing the the application of the Public Order Act and the Statutory Instrument on Covid-19 in a bid to favor the candidature of the incumbent, President Dr Edgar Lungu.

President Lungu, a good friend of Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, has on several occasions questioned the role of international election observer missions, a stance which compromises his alleged belief in democracy.

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