Socialist party decries shrinking democratic space, reports 29 political threats in 2024

The Socialist Party (SP) has alleged a sharp increase in political intimidation and suppression in 2024, citing 29 incidents of threats and manipulation, including 17 rejected applications to hold rallies.

Speaking during a year-end media briefing at Amigos Lodge in Kitwe on Saturday, SP Vice President and Secretary-General, Cosmas Musumali, claimed that the party had faced multiple forms of intimidation, including alleged kidnappings, electoral manipulation, false charges, and general threats aimed at hindering their participation in the democratic process.

“This year alone, we have had 29 cases of political intimidation, manipulation, and kidnapping of candidates to ensure we do not participate in democracy,” Musumali said.

He accused the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) of using these tactics to control elections.

Musumali revealed that 17 applications submitted to the police in 2024 for rally permits were rejected, denying the SP opportunities to engage with the electorate.

“The UPND uses by-elections as convenient tools to claim legitimacy,” he stated.

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Despite these challenges, Musumali affirmed the SP’s commitment to participating in future elections, describing it as essential to their political strategy.

“It would be a betrayal if we gave up and stopped participating in by-elections. Our support base is growing rapidly, and we will not stay away because these are some of the few avenues to promote our political manifesto,” he said.

Musumali disclosed that the SP had contested 55 by-elections in 2024, finishing second in most of them.

He announced plans to field candidates in upcoming by-elections in Pambashe, Mpongwe, Western Province, and Petauke.

The SP Vice President reiterated the party’s determination to challenge the UPND in the 2026 general elections, aiming to “liberate Zambians from economic slavery.”

He accused the UPND leadership of being puppets of multinational corporations and vowed to bring transformative change to the country.

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