LUANGWA DISTRICT RESULTS: LESSONS TO BE LEARNT
With a margin loss of 308 votes apart between the losing and winning party/candidates, clearly the political faultlines drawn ahead and after 2021 General Election remain intact.
THE 2021 PARTY Strengthens in these areas at district level remain relatively unchallenged in Luangwa.
I say so, because Luangwa, like Kabwata Constituency, all elective positions in the District were won by the party that retained that seat.
In addition, Luangwa is one district that has resisted UPND penetration since the party’s formation in 1998 as UPND has failed to win that seat in Lusaka province just like Matero, Chawama and Mandevu constituencies.
The most interesting by-elections will be Kabushi and Kwacha where the MPs won during the General Election but overall district results gave UPND a resounding win at presidential level.
The constituency wins were coupled with a couple of councilors wins too in these constituencies.
These two constituencies in Ndola and Kitwe districts will be the by-election to watch, follow and interested in.
However, clearly, Zambia is still far from grooming a competitive 3rd political Party from these results and still remains a 2 party dominant political system after the demise of MMD and from the 2021 General Election results.
This may not be good for the 2026 General Election to only have PF and UPND compete competitively.
These other political parties must rise to the occasion than just roaring on media that they have supporters yet results indicate the opposed.
This is why i support the holding of necessary by-elections as they help gauge how people are accepting a party’s policies, programmes and manifestos and help a party to restrategies.
I submit
McDonald Chipenzi