Ekip
04 October 2016•Update: 04 October 2016
By Francis Maingaila
LUSAKA, Zambia
Two leaders of Zambia’s defeated United Party for National Development (UPND) were called in for questioning by police Tuesday, police said.
Party President Hakainde Hichilema and his deputy Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba were summoned after a local official in the country’s Copperbelt province complained they were trying to incite people to reject the result of August’s presidential election, which saw Edgar Lungu returned to office after a bitter and violent campaign.
Provincial Police Commissioner Charity Katanga said in a statement that the opposition leaders were due to appear before a panel of investigators Wednesday to answer the allegations.
“We received a complaint from Mpongwe DC [district commissioner] that the two UPND leaders were in the province inciting electorates to reject the election of President Lungu,” she said.
Last week, Mpongwe District Commissioner Keith Maila accused Hichilema of inciting the people of Mpongwe to rise up against the Patriotic Front (PF) government.
Hichilema told a news conference Tuesday that he was in the region to thank UPND voters.
The UPND has rejected the election result and claims “stolen votes” resulted in Lungu’s victory. He was declared the winner with 50.3 percent against Hichilema’s 47.63 percent.
Clashes were reported between PF and UPND supporters following the announcement of the election.
