Over 40 Organisations Call On President Lungu To Maintain Internet Connectivity During Election

42 organisations have written a letter to President Edgar Lungu, calling on his government to ensure that the internet remains uninterrupted throughout the election period.

Following a government source confirming the Patriotic Front’s plans to shut down the internet over the election period, the Committee to Protect Journalists joined other human rights, free expression and technology organisations wrote the letter in a bid to reverse the decision.

The letter starts by addressing the reports of a possible internet shutdown, outlining the international community’s support in disputing this decision.

“As a result [of the possibility of an internet shutdown], Zambia remains on the #KeepItOn Coalition’s radar, and the world is watching to ensure that the rights of the people are upheld during the upcoming elections and at all times.”

Most importantly outlined in the letter, the organisations urge Lungu to ensure “full internet access nationwide and refrain from arbitrarily blocking access to social media platforms such as Twitter, WhatsApp, Telegram and Facebook, and websites of media outlets throughout the election period and thereafter.”

The concerns which have arisen as a result of the government source leaking the information, stems from the country’s history of shutdowns which have occurred recently in both 2016 and 2020.

The organisations who signed the letter remain concerned that an internet shutdown will undermine the human rights of citizens within the country. They stated that “internet shutdowns and violence go hand in hand,” as well as outlining that they “violate fundamental human rights such as freedom of expression and opinion, access to information, press freedom, and freedom of peaceful assembly.”

The letter finishes by offering assistance to the government, to support a decision to keep the internet on during election period.

If you are against the likely possibility of an internet shutdown over the election period, sign our petition: http://chng.it/mBJ9FF5bMT