HH’s remarks petty, undemocratic – Nakacinda

HH’s remarks petty, undemocratic – Nakacinda By GIDEON NYENDWA PATRIOTIC Front (PF) member of the central committee Raphael Nakacinda has described the warning to his party by President Hakainde Hichilema during a media conference at State House last week as petty and undemocratic. In an interview, Mr Nakacinda said the statement by the President using PF as an excuse for the violence being perpetrated by UPND cadres were not only undemocratic but also retrogressive. “The statement he made is totally undemocratic and retrogressive,” he said. President Hichilema during a press briefing last Thursday warned PF members to behave themselves by not provoking a situation that he was managing well because if he allowed UPND members who were in majority to be vengeful, their lives would be miserable. President Hichilema said the PF members should not take the good will they had received from UPND members for granted, as they suffered so much mistreatment during their rule. But Mr. Nakacinda said it was unfortunate that the President wanted to bury his head in the sand and choose not to be accurate with the information by defending his unruly cadres. He said every Zambian knew that PF sympathisers were being beaten and harassed by UPND cadres as evidenced by several videos that had gone viral on social media. Mr. Nakacinda claimed that PF officials, leaders and everyone who was perceived to be a PF sympathiser were harassed and tortured by the UPND cadres. He also said the President should not in any way start threatening opposition parties and leaders by instructing law enforcement agencies to silence the opposition voices from PF members of Parliament and leaders. He also said PF will not be intimidated by his threats but will increase the volume in providing checks and balances. Mr. Nakacinda said PF was not aiming at criticising what the government is doing, but pointing out things that they knew were inimical to the interest of the people. “He (Mr Hichilema) must brace himself for that,” he said. He said President Hichilema was in opposition for 15 years and nobody dragged him from talking and criticising the government because he was given freedom so he should give others freedom to speak.