Africa-Press – Zambia. Newly elected UPND Kabushi Member of Parliament Bernard Kanengo has said he is not celebrating the downfall of his predecessor Bowman Chilosha Lusambo.
Mr. Lusambo had his seat nullified by the court and the Electoral Commission of Zambia barred from contesting the subsequent by-election,a decision he has challenged in court.
Mr. Kanengo was declared the winner of Friday’s controversial Kabushi Parliamentary by-election after getting 6,556 votes against his closest rival and independent candidate Richard Kalasa’s 4,607 votes.
Leadership Movement’s Osias Telela collected 226 votes and another Independent candidate Alfred Joseph Yombwe amassed 81 votes. Speaking after being declared duly elected Kabushi Member of Parliament, Mr. Kanengo said Mr.Lusambo’s current situation is a lesson to many people to be humble.
He said God opposes the proud and uplifts the humble. On his developmental agenda, Mr.Kanengo said he wants to re-build Kabushi to a standard where Lusaka is.
“Allow me to thank the party leadership from the branch to the top level. The branch leadership, the ward leadership and the constituency leadership. Secondly, allow me to thank the people of Kabushi for making a wise decision, for delivering themselves from the shackles of poverty, from the shackles of manipulation. We are now starting a new life in Kabushi. I know we have been manipulated for a long time, I Bernard Kanengo I have come to work in Kabushi. I am asking you just like the way you have decided to pick me as your representative to rebuild Kabushi to a standard where Lusaka is,” Mr. Kanengo said.
“Another assurance I want to give to the people of Kabushi is that I am going to be a Member of Parliament for everyone. I know in Kabushi Constituency these political parties known as PF, SP and many more they no longer exist. I am going to be a Member of Parliament for all the people in Kabushi Constituency. For the outgoing Member of Parliament (Bowman Lusambo) we are not here to celebrate their downfall but all of us to learn from their downfall. God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. Thank you,” he said.
Meanwhile, UPND Kabushi Constituency Campaign Manager Frank Tayali said the by-election has demonstrated that neither individual nor political is greater than Zambia.
Mr. Tayali, the Ndola Central MP, also thanked people of Kabushi Constituency, who decided to turn up and cast their ballots. Out of the 49,908 registered voters in Kabushi Constituency, only 11,646 voted in the by-election.
“We want to give thanks to the people of Kabushi Constituency, who decided to turn up and cast their ballots in exercise of their constitutional right to decide who their elected representative was going to be. At the end of the day what this election has demonstrated is that there is no one individual, no one political party is above the law. Zambia is greater than any individual; Zambia is greater than any political party. Kabushi was never going to be held ransom because a few individuals felt that they were entitled.”
“The people of Kabushi Constituency have today spoken and they have said that Bernard Kanengo is their duly elected Member of Parliament. Please remember that this by-election was brought about by a nullification which was occasioned by violent and massive maul practices in terms of electoral code of conduct. The UPND has once again demonstrated. We are a peaceful party. We have allowed all those that participated in the campaign peacefully,” Mr. Tayali said.
The Minister of Transport and Logistics added:” I wish to take this opportunity to thank all UPND members that continue to hide the president’s call that we must conduct ourselves totally differently from what we experienced in the past. With today’s results never again, never again will the people of Zambia in any constituency be subjected to violence as a way of ensuring election victory. May I take this opportunity to thank the MP for Kabushi Constituency Honourable Bernard Kanengo.”
“We are proud that we ran a clean game and may I just add that the ECZ (Electoral Commission of Zambia) has acted within the law to avoid a constitutional crisis. The ECZ has got a constitutional mandate to carry out an election because we were never going to have Kabushi create a void and be subjected to lack of representation. So to the people of Kabushi thank you we can now deliver development through our area Member of Parliament Honourable Bernard Kanengo. God bless you all,” Mr. Tayali commented.
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