Socialist Party vows to ‘arrest’ UPND officials using govt vehicles to campaign in by-elections

The Socialist Party (SP) has vowed to institute citizens’ arrest on ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) officials using government vehicles and resources during campaigns for various by-elections.

Party General-Secretary, Cosmas Musumali, also vowed that party members would impound the government vehicles the UPND officials are using in the campaigns.

Musumali in an interview with Journalists in Chinsali on Thursday, accused the ruling UPND of using what he described as “artificial” by-elections as a way of registering their presence in places where Zambians rejected them in the past.

He alleged that the District Commissioners for Chinsali District in Muchinga Province and Isoka are in Itapa Ward campaigning using government vehicles and time.

“The DC for Chinsali is using a Toyota Land Cruiser from the Ministry of Health, with no registration number plate or label while the DC from Isoka is even repairing the hand pump there,” Musumali claimed.

The SP General-Secretary added that cash was being dished out everywhere in the ward and people are being ferried to get new voters cards.

“As the Socialist Party, we have been complaining that the UPND is using governemnt time and government resources in the campaigns. We are in Chinsali today and this particular abuse and misuse is continuing,” he said.

Musumali claimed that the ruling party was taking advantage of the poor Zambians by dishing out mealie meal in exchange for a vote.

“Again, we continue getting this information where cash is exchanged in hands, where mealie meal is being distributed and government vehicles without registration numbers are being used,” he said.

Musumali stated that this was evidence of high levels of corruption, high levels of abuse and that Itapa ward was not an exception.

“We warned before that the masses out there are documenting; the masses out there are telling us what is going on. And also, we have already informed the police that we are ready to do citizen’s arrest so that these vehicles can be impounded,” he said.

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