MUNDUBILE WARNS AGAINST VOTE MANIPULATION IN SOUTHERN PROVINCE AMID LOW VOTER TURNOUT, PREDICTS VICTORY
NRPUP presidential candidate Hon. Brian Mundubile has warned against manipulating or inflating votes in Southern Province following reports of low voter turnout, as he expressed confidence of winning the presidential election.
Speaking shortly after casting his vote at Olympia Park Secondary School in Lusaka, Hon. Mundubile said reports from his monitors indicated encouraging voter participation in several parts of the country, but significantly lower turnout in areas perceived to be UPND strongholds, particularly Southern Province.
“We have also noted that there is very low voter turnout in UPND perceived strongholds such as Southern Province,” he said.
Hon. Mundubile said the reported low turnout should be reflected in the final results from the province, warning election managers against presenting figures that do not correspond with the actual number of voters who participated.
“I must be quick to mention that we do not expect to see those crazy numbers we saw last time coming out of Southern Province. What we monitored so far is that there is low voter turnout,” he said.
He added: “It is therefore expected that even those numbers will be reflected in that particular reality.”
Hon. Mundubile said his remarks were based on information being received from his election monitors and appealed to his supporters in Southern Province to turn out and cast their ballots.
“We would like to appeal to the people of Southern Province who support us to also turn out to cast their votes,” he said.
The NRPUP candidate said his campaign did not physically visit Southern Province because, according to him, the lives of his team were threatened.
He said the campaign nevertheless reached voters in the province through a virtual rally.
Despite the concerns over turnout, Hon. Mundubile said he remained confident of victory, arguing that the response to his campaign demonstrated that Zambians were ready for political change.
Asked about his expectations from the election, he said: “I expect to win this election because people are ready for change.”
Hon. Mundubile said the feedback received during campaigns across the nine provinces he visited was “overwhelming” and showed widespread frustration over poverty, youth unemployment, oppressive laws and restrictions on freedom of expression.
He said voters were looking for a government that would restore their freedoms and address the economic hardships facing the country.
Hon. Mundubile also described the voting process as generally peaceful after casting his ballot.
“I’m happy that I have cast my vote, and that so far it is generally peaceful,” he said.
He declared that the election marked the beginning of a new political chapter for Zambia.
“This is the beginning of a United Free Zambia,” Hon. Mundubile said.
Brian Mundubile should avoid making unsubstantiated claims about the electoral process and focus on presenting evidence for any allegations he makes. Claims about election rigging or manipulation should be supported by credible, verifiable evidence rather than speculation. Likewise, assessments of political popularity and electoral prospects should be grounded in reliable polling and other objective indicators. President Hakainde Hichilema currently has a much larger national political profile, but ultimately the voters, not individual politicians’ predictions, will determine the outcome of the election.