Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Vernon Mwaanga
Veteran Politician Vernon Mwaanga says the recent political developments in the country are disturbing, annoying and give rise to uncertainty.
Dr. Mwaanga says watching news on the international media showing police brutality in Luanshya against citizens who are merely exercising their democratic rights is worrying.
Dr. Mwaanga says what is even more disturbing is the allege by political leaders in government and their minions outside government not to allow or listen to opposing views on important issues of corruption, poor governance, human rights abuse, abuses of power and political intolerance.
He tells QTV News in a statement that the continuous arrests and harassment of opposition leaders and limiting their operating space is detrimental to the building of a free and democratic society where citizens are expected to enjoy equal rights regardless of their political affiliation.
He says it appears to have become fashionable for some senior party and government leaders to make highly irresponsible and inflammatory tribal statements which go unpunished and un-rebuked and which fuel tribal tensions and grossly undermine the cherished national motto of One Zambia One Nation.
Dr. Mwaanga states that Zambia has just come out of the highly contested elections, where the country emerged split right down the middle and where the constitutional court shamelessly abdicated its duty by failing to hear the petition brought before it by the main opposition candidates Hakainde Hichilema and his running mate Geoffrey Mwamba on a technicality whose interpretation remains pending in the supreme court.
He adds that given this background, he expects President Edgar Lungu to pursue a path of national reconciliation and healing to calm the situation down, through meaningful and genuine dialogue with opposition parties for the sake of the nation.