Zambian Opposition Denounces Harassment Ahead Of Election

The main opposition parties in Zambia have complained Wednesday that they have been harassed by police.



The opposition said in a statement jointly signed by seven political parties that the level playing field in the campaign for the Aug. 11 general election has not been even.



"We are not only denied the opportunity to campaign freely, our members are either attacked by PF [ruling Patriotic Front] supporters or are illegally detained by the police at the instruction of the executive," said the press release.



According to the press release, over 1,000 opposition supporters in Kabwe, the capital of Central Province were detained Tuesday when they protested against the arrest of a local parliamentary candidate.



"Some of the arrested were released without charge while some are still in police custody. As though this is not enough, last week in Namwala District of Southern Province, police arrested another parliamentary candidate from the opposition party. For us, these unprecedented numbers of arrests are calculated to instill fear among our members and are a well calculated move by the government to create a climate of fear among opposition parties and this is likely to jeopardize our campaigns," said the statement.



While ruling out the possibility of boycotting the election, the opposition has suggested that the current level of harassment and detentions along with problems noted in voter registration will force it to reject the outcome of the August election should the PF be declared winner.



PF Secretary General Davies Chama told Anadolu Agency in an interview that the ruling party will win the election without cheating.



"People have confidence in our policies and it is from these policies that the ruling party will be elected back in August," he said.



More than 7 million registered voters are expected to cast votes to elect the president, parliamentarians, mayors and local government representatives, on Aug. 11. -