Brian Mundubile, the leader of the opposition in parliament, has criticized the New Dawn Administration for continuing to violate human rights.
This is in response to reports of purported kidnappings and unannounced arrests of opposition members of parliament. And Hon. Mundubile has defended the decision made today by opposition MPs to leave the chamber.
According to him, the action was taken to let Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister Jack Mwiimbu know that opposition MPs wouldn’t stand by and let the Police harass and mistreat them.
Since then, Hon. Mundubile has encouraged the Inspector General of Police to follow the law and make sure that the high command has received comprehensive training on how to handle a member of parliament. The MPs, he claimed, are regarded outside the nation but are treated locally like criminals.
“We have seen a trend by the police in the recent past to abduct the members of parliament, arrest them without being given callouts. In the recent weeks, Hon Robert Kalimi and Hon Christopher Shakafuswa were arrested without being given call Outs.
It is not our position that members of Parliament are immune from arrests. They still remain eminable to the law but the manner of arrest must be orderly in such a way that they are arresting somebody who is respected. What is wrong in giving an MP a call out,” he said.
Hon. Mundubile further said that State House is instructing the police directly on how to harass opposition MPs.
Because attempts have been made to persuade them to support the UPND, “President Hakainde Hichilema intends to instill fear in the members of parliament,” he stated.
And the alleged victims of police abuse Additionally, Christopher Shakafuswa-Mandevu, Munir Zulu-Lumezi, Robert Kalimi, and Malole MPs expressed their unhappiness with the actions of the police.
According to Hon. Kalimi, the country’s attempt to maintain the separation of powers has resulted in MPs being detained without the speaker’s consent.
In support of the Statement, Hon. Shakafuswa pledged to keep speaking out against injustice, preserve the country’s democracy, and confront the New Dawn Government’s continuous abuse of the police.
Hon. Zulu questioned why the same police squad was detaining opposition members, particularly those from particular regions.
