THE Foundation for Democratic Process (Fodep) says it is morally wrong for Patriotic Front (PF) to demonstrate against the salary increment for constitutional office holders when party's members of parliament (MPs) supported the bills in Parliament.

Fodep president Stanley Mhango said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that as much as it was a constitutional right for the PF to demonstrate, the party should only do so on account of the increase in mealie meal prices.

Mr Mhango said that it was extremely immoral for the PF to demonstrate over the increment in emoluments for constitutional office holders when PF vice president Guy Scott led his Members of Parliament (MP) in supporting the bills in the House.

"These are the double standards that we have been saying are not helpful to our democracy. The PF supported the bills from their vice president to the rest and so it is immoral for them to demonstrate against something that they supported.

"Let them demonstrate against their own party for supporting the bills. Every Zambian has the right to express his or her freedom of expression but let them protest over the mealie meal prices," Mr Mhango said.

While agreeing that the party has the right to demonstrate over the increase in mealie meal prices, he cautioned that the leadership should ensure that during the course of the demonstration, anarchy was avoided.

The PF is on December 6 scheduled to hold demonstrations on the Copperbelt over the increase in mealie meal prices as well as the increased emoluments for constitutional office holders.

PF Copperbelt Chairman Mwenya Musenge had lodged a notification to Copperbelt provincial police chief.

Meanwhile, United Church of Zambia (UCZ) Copperbelt Presbytery Bishop Committee Njase has appealed to police on the Copperbelt not to allow PF to stage the demonstration.

And UNIP on the Copperbelt has challenged the PF to find better ways of addressing grievances other than demonstrating on the streets.

Bishop Njase said he was against PF's planneddemonstration because it could degenerate into violence.

"As the Church, we would like to appeal to police on the Copperbelt not to allow the PF to demonstrate because the party has no cause to do so. I personally would not want to seePF demonstrating because it does not mean well," he said.

And UNIP provincial information and publicity secretary Brian Chishimba said in an interview in Kitwe yesterday that citizens were living in a critical time, hence the need for PF not to do anything that would erode the investor confidence in the country.

Mr Chishimba said that while it was everyone's constitutional right to demonstrate, PF should desist from acts which could degenerate into violence.