Ikeleng’i UPND member of parliament Elijah Muchima has challenged President Edgar Lungu too call for early elections to prove that the ruling party is popular.

At a media briefing yesterday, Muchima said his party had put in place tight anti-rigging mechanisms.

“I don’t know when we last got CDF. We just got 50 percent of CDF last year. But I am told through the back door, other state constituencies have been given. The method of selection we don’t know it. We need to government that is tolerant , transparent and should have a heart of a person. But this PF government has lost it, it has no value. Look at the tribalism, they always accuse HH to be tribal. I will tell you PF is more tribal. Look at how they appoint their boards. I am tell you that UPND is a non-tribal party. They are using that as a tool just to frustrate the efforts of UPND. UPND is more balanced than any other party; it’s the biggest party. Let elections come today, if they have got the capacity let them declare an election. But I am telling you we are now ready for elections and no body is going to rig these elections,” Muchima said.

“This issue of giving hope to the people that PF is still popular, I want to assure you that out of ten in this country, nine are anti-PF. Even within PF itself, they are not happy with what is happening. If there are people that are happy, they are very few within the administration of PF. Look at the GCE policy. Today many young girls and boys cant continue going to school because there is a demand that nobody should repeat. If anything they should rewrite exams through GCE arrangement which they are charging minimum of K500. Where do you expect a person in Chama, in Ikelengi, in Chavuma to find that money? So this policy is anti-free education. UPND is promising the people of Zambia that there will be real free education.”

He said PF were cheating themselves that 2021 would be in their favor.

“I want to warn PF [that] if they think 2021 is in their favor, they are cheating themselves. Not even rigging, we shall tolerate it. We know what happened, and this time we are warning them, we have also put a master plan in place, there will be no rigging. Let them just enjoy what they have today. And we want them to account for the wealth they have accumulated. Zambia has become a dumping ground. It’s a trading center for foreigners. We are happy that the judiciary now has realized that they cannot be used the way they are using ZNBC. We need a shift in thinking. We have a rotten administration. We need to change, we need to rethink, we need credible elections, we are not going to tolerate rigging, enough is enough,” Muchima added.

Meanwhile, Muchima said police were abusing the Public Order Act.

“Public order act, why should it be only favoring PF? They are busy going. Their SG is going everywhere addressing meetings but when it comes to UPND, there are restrictions. Which said this Zambia is for PF? Zambia is for everyone. We have a share. This time police are supposed just to be notified. We are not supposed to be getting permission from the police, just to be notified of the meeting. And we are telling them, once we notify them, we shall be going ahead. If they try to attack us, we shall also attack them. This time no UPND member should be attacked anyhow,” he complained.

And Muchima stressed the need for Zambia to find means and ways of dismantling the IMF debt.

“We need means and ways on how this debt will be dismantled. IMF has refused to give Zambia money because Zambia has no longer got capacity to pay back. It’s a danger now to invest in Zambia because of indisciplined PF. The policy they have put in place is to protect thieving. We need a government that fears the public but this government wants the public to fear them. And I will tell you that in north western, PF does not exist. 2021 we will give you the different picture altogether. We are unhappy because we are not yielding anything from our God given natural resources,” said Muchima.