There is no State of Emergency – State House

State House has dismissed assertions that Zambia has been placed under a semi-State of Emergency following the arrest of opposition UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema.

Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations, Amos Chanda has wondered why a State of Emergency can be declared when no such measure was instituted prior to Mr. Hichilema’s arrest.

Mr. Chanda says just like Mr. Hichilema’s arrest did not require the declaration of a State of Emergency, his trial does not equally require the Republican President to introduce such a national security measure.

In an interview with QTV news by telephone, Mr. Chanda has also allayed fears that the arrest of the opposition leader is indicative that the country is unstable.

He has argued that the stability of the Country is not assured by not punishing a crime when an individual breaks the law.

He states that to the contrary, the stability of the nation is assured by people and investors having confidence that when there is a threat to law and public order the Police will act and quell the threat.

Mr. Chanda states that if the Police act in this respect, it cannot therefore be said that the Country is unstable and therefore its economy is likely to suffer as a consequence.