Africa-Press – Zambia. Seven by-elections were held yesterday namely: Chisamba and Lusangazi (Council Chairperson), Kaumbwe (Parliamentary) and Kamifungo(Masaiti), Mulamfu(Mapatizya, Zimba), Lufubu (Mwansabombwe) and Kalilele(Mushindamo).
Out of.the 7 by-elections, the former ruling party (PF) scooped 2 (Lusangazi and Kaumbwe) both offshoots from Petauke Central while the new ruling party (UPND) scooping the 5 (all the 4 wards and 1 Council Chairperson-Chisamba)
In terms of popular votes, PF stood at 12, 079 votes in six by-elections while UPND is at 13, 578. Socialist Paty is 3rd with 3,061 in three by-elections it participated while DP is 4th with 1, 705 in all seven by-elections it participated.
*Implication*
PF continues to lose popular vote while UPND continues to gain with Socialist Party displacing DP as the 3rd popular party in Zambia relegating DP to 4th Position. The PF’s win in the two Petauke district offshoots district of Lusangazi and constituency of Kaumbwe is very much understandable.
This is so because Petauke is the Bweengwa for former President EDGAR CHAGWA Lungu who is the still the current PF president, as it is where he is suspected to have hailed from.
In other words it is his home village just like President HH has Bweengwa in Monze, which if an election was held in Bweengwa or Moomba both offshoots from Monze district would not have expected upnd to lose even if President HH was not there.
Winning an election in your opponent’s home village is not as easy as people think and it is the last bastion of defence for any leader in politics. No wonder the PF team of campaigners dwelt much on tribal and regional voting and comparing the votes President EDGAR CHAGWA Lungu got in Bweengwa against President HH in Kaumbwe.
This was to remind the people of Petauke in general and Kaumbwe and lusangazi in particular not to abandon but to support their villagemate. The ballgame would have been different if it was in Chadiza, Chipata, Lundazi or Mambwe even Katete.
It has nothing to do with delivery of services at least for these by-elections held 2 months after the General Election. Results PF UPND SP DP Lusangazi 3, 661 2,626 – 696
Kaumbwe 6,633 3,117 1,835 517 Chisamba 1,099 5,001 771 210 LUFUBU 276 624 455 48 Kalilele 51 729 – 202 Kamifungo 342 441 – 12 MULAMFU 17 1,030 10 TOTALS 12, 079 13,578 3,061 1,705 I submit McDonald Chipenzi
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