OPPOSITION SHOULD BEWARE OF SUGAR-COATED ERTC REPORT
Why is the Electoral Reform Technical Report (ERTC) coming telling Zambians the obvious truth which opposition political parties have been saying all along?
It is to hoodwink the public into the false confidence that the cadre-laden Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) can be trusted to conduct unbiased refereeing of the coming general and presidential elections.
But it is not. Opposition political parties, which have participated in by-elections supervised by the ECZ have horror tales of bias to tell. They have complained about and, in one incident, even confronted ECZ officers who were attempting to contrive a reason to disqualify an opposition candidate.
What was the result?
Opposition leaders, Mambilima Member of Parliament Jean Chisenga, National Congress Party President Peter Chanda and lawyer Celestine Mukandila were arrested for their protest. Although they were later discharged, the ECZ has never publicly censured its officers who engaged in the biased conduct which led to the confrontation. Neither has it accepted responsibility for the incident.
In many other instances, especially of electoral violence, it is not only the Zambia Police who are culpable. The ECZ itself too. Oppositiin parties have suffered violence at the hands of now heavily armed ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) party cadres. But it is instead victims who end up being prosecuted, for defending themselves, as has happened to Socialist Party Leader Dr Fred M’membe
These incidents of violence are reported officially both to the ECZ and the Zambia Police. No single ruling party cadre has been arrested.
Therefore, the so-called ERTC coming out to confirm Police bias in handling election related violence and other incidents, is nothing new. It is simply aimed at ingratiating the ECZ with the public, and posturing to opposition parties that this discredited body is interested in reform. It is not, Its only interest is whitewashing an electoral process many fear could deliver Zambia’s most controversial electoral outcome in 2026.
Even the rubbish the ERTC is saying about Police use of the Public Order Act and officers reporting to the ECZ directly, hold no water, because of two facts.
The first one is that the ECZ is cadre-tainted, perhaps beyond repair. Secondly, the UPND government has been found to be interested only to the kinds of reforms that feed into its desire to continue in government in perpetuity.
Therefore, opposition parties must maintain vigilance by, first, calling this ERTC Report what it is – HOGWASH!
Then they should table before credible force a raft of credible electoral reforms which need to be undertaken in Zambia to ensure a level playing field in the 2026 elections, for the sake on continued peace in Zambia.
John 8:32 “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
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