. Mwamba

By Times Reporter –
THE United Party for National Development (UPND) has mooted a plan dubbed ‘Operation Fear’ to cause fear among Zambians both during and after elections  should the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) win the August 11 elections.
Highly-placed sources have exposed the plot which details ‘Operation Fear’ activities that include plans to cause nationwide confusion through violence to instill fear among Zambians for them to shun voting on the election day.
The ‘Operation Fear’ has seen UPND train and arm a group of cadres who will be used to scare voters from voting and cause confusion in the country and declare the elections, that the party knows President Edgar Lungu will win, null and void so that UPND and the PF can form a coalition government.
The UPND has lined up acts of violence from Tuesday August, 9  to Tuesday  August 16.
The violent activities will be more intense in Southern Province where UPND will harass anyone voting for the PF or any other political party.
In other provinces, especially PF strongholds, the plan is to cause so much fear that few people would be willing to go and vote, thereby depriving the ruling Party of the required votes.
It would create voter apathy among the people while forcing every voter in the south to vote for the UPND.
Though exposed now, the plan was mooted a long time ago and some activities had already been effected, a classic example being the wearing of military regalia by UPND members and the recent discovery of petrol bombs and an assortment of arms by Police that raided the home of former Kasama Central Member of Parliament and UPND Vice President, Geoffrey Mwamba’s house in Kasama.
The parading of cadres in police uniforms was also part of the plan to show that there was division in the security wing.
However, the police command had refuted such claims and was currently investigating the fake POST Newspaper  pictures.
The plan is reminiscent of the infamous Mapatizya Formula which was declared by the UPND in 2010 and was coined under the leadership of party leader Hakainde Hichilema.
The war that was directed against the MMD saw the UPND organise a ‘militia’ that attacked government vehicles, impounded food supply convoys, held meetings without permits and harassed Government ministers and caused wanton mayhem against the MMD camp.
The series of violence recorded during elections in Mufumbwe were well documented and the UPND was roundly condemned since many people were killed and several others injured in clashes orchestrated by the opposition party.
Already, the  UPND have started harassing Electoral Commission  of Zambia (ECZ) drivers passing through Southern Province on mere suspicion that their trucks were carrying  ballot papers meant for rigging.
Recently, PF Youth Chairperson  Stephen Kampyongo raised serious concerns about the  dangerous behaviour of UPND, which was  seriously compromising national security.
Mr Kampyongo said the UPND had exhibited  the worst form of barbarism  and hooliganism ever witnessed since the dawn of multi-party democracy in Zambia.
Concerned citizens  have urged UPND to prepare for election defeat and not chaos as Zambia was built on the foundation of peace and love under the motto: One Zambia one Nation. Efforts to get a comment from UPND officials proved futile.