Police must interrogate Dr. Banda over rigging claim – Fr. Bwalya

Alliance for a Better Zambia president Fr. Frank Bwalya says the rigging claims by UPND Vice president Dr. Canicius Banda  has a pontential spark violence in the event the opposition lose the January 20 presidential elections.

Fr. Bwalya who has endorsed the ruling party – PF candidate Edgar Lungu in this election has since challenged the law enforcement agencies to summon Dr. Canisius Banda and interrogate him so that he can provide information to help the police and relevant institutions to thwart the alleged plan to rig the forthcoming presidential election.

He said the statement by Dr. Banda alleging that the Patriotic Front (PF) was working with the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to rig presidential election in favour of the ruling party poses a serious security risk.

“This claim of election rigging has potential to incite UPND members and other citizens to reject the outcome of the January 20, 2015 presidential election should UPND lose. Such a rejection of the election outcome may cause violence,” Fr. Bwalya said.

“Moreover, the claim may erode public trust and confidence in the electoral process and undermine our democracy,” he observed.

“As such, we challenge law enforcement agencies to summon Dr. Canisius Banda and interrogate him so that he can provide information to help the police and relevant institutions to thwart the alleged plan to rig the forthcoming presidential election,” Fr Bwalya charged.

He said ABZ thinks that electing to ignore this allegation by UPND will be a very big mistake because UPND will continue to convince and psyche its members and unsuspecting members of the public to reject the election results.

“Finally, our party regrets the propensity by UPND to malign innocent citizens. Recently UPND accused Defence Chiefs of having blackmailed acting president Dr. Guy Scott to reconcile with PF leader Mr. Edgar Lungu. UPND went further to accuse the Defence Chiefs of treason. This time UPND has accused Mr. Mulenga Sata the son of late President Michael Chilufya Sata of having dark corner meetings with ECZ Public Relations Manager Chris Akufuna to plan rigging of elections. This habit by UPND to demonize innocent citizens should be condemned by all well-meaning Zambians,” concluded in his statement released to Zambian Eye on January 1, 2015.