. Dr Scott

By CHUSA SICHONE, CHARITY MOONGA and PERPETUAL SICHIKWENKWE –
ACTING President Guy Scott has suspended the accreditation process for the Patriotic Front (PF) general conference.
Dr Scott’s decision was preceded by the near-lynching of Local Government and Housing Minister Emmanuel Chenda by some PF cadres at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka yesterday morning.
Addressing journalists at Government House in Lusaka yesterday, Dr Scott declared all credentials that had already been issued from any registration centre as null and void and that they would not be used for entrance into the Mulungushi Rock of Authority in Kabwe today.
Former First Lady Christine Kaseba, Justice Minister Edgar Lungu, Kasama Member of Parliament Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba and his Matero counterpart Miles Sampa are vying for the PF top job.
Others are Commerce Minister Bob Sichinga, Agriculture Minister Wylbur Simuusa, Kabwata MP Given Lubinda, Sports Minister Chishimba Kambwili and former Zambia High Commissioner to Nigeria Selemani Pangula.
Dr Scott said the measure was necessitated following the illegal takeover of the registration centre at Mulungushi Conference Centre by unknown persons and the destruction of the official registers validated and issued by the PF secretariat at registration centres in Lusaka, Kabwe and Kapiri Mposhi.
“I did ask them not to play (games) and what we found today were cadres breaking into buildings, taking election materials and tearing them up, attacking people but more usually just intimidating the people
operating the accreditation machinery into accepting people who are not bona fide members of the PF,” Dr Scott said.
“This is very straightforward. I mean, it’s not a clever thing to do, it’s just the use of cadre power or thug power over the power of the authorities. Any credentials that have already been issued are now rendered null and void, I have cancelled them all.”
Dr Scott apologised to all those who had queued up to get accredited and assured bona fide PF members that the registration process would resume today at 08:00 hours at the Mulungushi Rock of Authority.
Dr Scott reiterated the remarks he issued on Thursday that if some PF members continued messing with the process then they risked delaying it, reminding them that the nomination date was approaching.
He said he wanted the PF presidential election process to be concluded quickly so that the party could start campaigning for the January 20, 2015 presidential election like other political parties were doing. Swift action by security officers in the morning prevented Mr Chenda from being lynched by some PF cadres who started shouting “cartel”, among other derogatory remarks, as he went to get his credentials for the general conference.
Meanwhile, PF Members of the Central Committee have appealed to all PF members to remain calm and peaceful.
The members contended that the general conference would go ahead as scheduled and all concerns regarding accreditation of delegates would be resolved at the conference. All logistics were in place and their delegates were travelling to Mulungushi Rock of Authority.
Committee spokesperson Harry Kalaba said the committee members were, however surprised that the earlier accreditation process, which began in earnest, had been cancelled.
“This is strange because this accreditation is being done using the register issued by the acting secretary general Bridget Atanga and the accreditation process by a body appointed by the Acting President,” he
said.
The committee had been investigating allegations of parallel registration and accreditation. It had also been investigating allegations of certain centres only opened to delegates of a certain camp and was hopeful that those allegations would be resolved at Mulungushi in Kabwe.
Any further issuance of accreditation in Lusaka would be deemed as null and void.
They warned the detractors that the PF family was one and was determined to elect a candidate of its choice and commence national campaigns.
It was important that the conference was conducted in a peaceful environment and attempts to tamper with the register would not succeed.
In a related matter, Lusaka High Court Judge Mwila Chitabo has ordered that the PF general conference slated for today in Kabwe goes ahead.
Mr Justice Chitabo made a ruling after he dismissed an application by PF member Francis Fube Mulenga in which he was challenging that the conference should not take place on grounds that the right procedure was not followed.
He said that the case of Mr Mulenga was not fit and proper and maintained that the party goes ahead to choose a candidate in the presidential election poised for January 20, 2015.
Mr Justice Chitabo said this would allow party members and other registered voters in Zambia to exercise their fundamental right to vote a particular preferred candidate amongst the various presidential aspirants.