The Coalition for the Defence of Democratic Rights (CDDR) announces the launch of a new webpage where Zambian citizens can report violations of civil rights, alleged instances of rigging, and/or voter fraud ahead of tomorrow’s bye-election in Mufumbwe.
The new crowdsourcing project, which will be located at http://cddr-zambia.org/ireport, will collect information for further confirmation and inclusion in a comprehensive report on the rights situation in Zambia that will be presented to international bodies and non-governmental organizations. CDDR guarantees the confidentiality of volunteer participants, and will continue using the reporting platform after the bye-election to monitor violations of rights to free expression and association. In addition, the ‘I REPORT’ project plans to launch a hotline to receive telephone and SMS text message complaints of violations.
“Given the numerous reports of harassment of opposition party workers by violent youth cadres and unlawfully blocked political meetings, we decided it was time to establish a central location to collect the details of these incidences and other transgressions,” said Robert Amsterdam, an international lawyer working with CDDR. “The government, police, and courts have failed to respond to these violations of citizens’ rights, therefore it is necessary to provide people with the opportunity to have their voices heard on another platform.”
According to a communiqué released in late October, the CDDR is preparing international actions based on alleged violations of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights by members of the ruling Patriotic Front party and President Michael Sata.
The CDDR is a legal defence alliance representing a broad array of opposition parties, political figures, and private citizens who believe their civil rights have been infringed by the conduct of the Zambian authorities.
More information can be read at http://cddr-zambia.org.