Alleged plans to deregister PF, an assault on democracy, says ZMP president, Bwalya

Opposition Zambia Must Prosper (ZMP) has condemned the alleged attempts by the ruling party to deregister Patriotic Front (PF), saying the move is an assault on democracy.

Party president, Kelvin Fube Bwalya, said this must be strongly opposed by all well-meaning citizens because the move was an assault on democracy.

Bwalya who is also a renowned lawyer said, the threat on PF was a threat on all opposition political parties, civil society organisations and the church who were critical of the failed UPND government.

Bwalya said in an interview in Lusaka on Friday that manoeuvres by the Registrar of Societies to deregister the PF reflected badly on President Hichilema and his government as such tendencies were associated with dictatorial regimes, which are aimed at silencing critics.

“If the PF had committed any transgressions, it is ZMP’s strong view that those could better be handled administratively than deregistering the party, which is thriving and making enormous contribution at various levels of the country’s governance,” he said.

Read more: Reports emerge of attempts by govt to deregister opposition Patriotic Front, as party denies flouting rules

Bwalya has since demanded that the notice of intention served by the Registrar of Societies to deregister the PF is withdrawn forthwith because it was in bad taste and an affront on democracy.

He said ZMP Party would therefore stand up to defend the democracy Zambians restored in 1991 and the injustice the UPND government was attempting to inflict on the current biggest opposition political party in the country.

“Using state institutions to champion and plan evil against the opposition should be the last thing a government which claims to enjoy the people’s confidence should do, a government which recently hosted the summit on democracy where President Hakainde Hichilema boosted of Zambia’s democratic credentials.

“PF currently is the largest opposition political party in the country with 58 Members of Parliament and hundreds of Councillors across the country, which the Registrar of Society must take into consideration as the law is not cast in stone,” Bwalya said.

He said the law was clear on the need for political parties to hold conventions before a general election and therefore the former ruling party must be given adequate room to do so like any other political party.

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