By Patricia Male
Opposition UPND Alliance leaders were this morning blocked from travelling to Mpika district in Muchinga Province for the ordination ceremony of Right Reverend Edwin Mulandu at St Joseph the Worker Cathedral.
The Alliance partners who were scheduled to fly into Mpika on a chartered plane for the procession had their flight permit canceled by authorities who said PF members of the central committee were traveling to the same destination.
The UPND Alliance leaders included Movement for Democratic Change MDC President Felix Mutati and Movement for National Transformation President Dr Daniel Shimunza.
After waiting for over three hours at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, Civil Aviation Authorities got back with a position that the UPND Alliance team cannot fly to Chipata today as they will only be granted permit to fly to Mpika on Tuesday as a measure to avoid confusion with the other camp of the PF Central Committee members.
And reacting to the development, MDC President Felix Mutati has described as laughable the decision to grant the team permit to fly to Chipata where they had absolutely no business, instead of Mpika where the installation of the Bishop was taking place today.
Mr. Mutati said this decision was a political way of propagating poverty as it denied the air charter and Zambia Revenue Authority the much needed income simply because this transaction was looked at from the perspective of the transactor.
Meanwhile, Movement for National Transformation leader Daniel Shimunza said it is disappointing that the permit to fly to Mpika was denied by the authorities for reasons that were not rational.
Dr Shimunza said the PF led government must begin to understand the importance of co-existence and the fairness required in political dispensation.
PHOENIX NEWS