Zambia Enters State of Emergency

Zambia’s parliament has officially imposed a 90-day state of emergency in the country after members of parliament voted in favour of the measure suggested by President Edgar Lungu on Tuesday.

Last week, President Lungu imposed a ‘partial state of emergency’ which gave police and other security forces in the country increased power to arrest and detain people, and to conduct searches without a warrant.

Zambia’s opposition party, the United Party for National Development (UPND), boycotted the vote. This left only Lungu’s ruling party, the Patriotic Front, and its 85 members to vote.

The measure was passed after all 85 members voted in favour of the implementation of the 90-day state of emergency.

Political tensions in Zambia have been high recently, after President Lungu accused the UPND of being behind the recent arson attacks in the country.

Of the several fires in the country lately, most of them believed to be arson attacks, such as the one that burned down the Lusaka City Market last week.

Lungu believes that the UPND are trying to ‘create terror and panic’ across the country by starting these fires.

Tensions between these political parties increased dramatically when UPND leader, Hakainde Hichilema, was arrested on treason charges in April.

Hichilema and five other UPND party members were arrested after a string of opposition vehicles failed to move out of the way for the presidential motorcade.

Hichilema has been in jail since.

Lungu has been severely criticised over the past few months, both nationally and internationally.

He has been accused of trying to create a dictatorship in the country, as he continues to tighten his grip on power in the country.

President Lungu has denied any intention to establish a dictatorship.