MWEETWA SAYS UPND’S CHAWAMA LOSS A SIGN OF ZAMBIA’S THRIVING DEMOCRACY
By Chamuka Shalubala/Joseph Kaputula
Chief Government spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa says the ruling UPND’s loss in the just ended Chawama parliamentary by-election should not be viewed as a setback but as a victory as it demonstrates Zambia’s thriving democracy.
Addressing the media in Lusaka this morning, Mr. Mweetwa notes that there would be no democracy if the ruling party were to win every by-election held in the country.
Mr. Mweetwa, who is also information and media minister also stated that the Chawama by-election has sent a clear signal that the 2026 general elections will generally be peaceful.
He has emphasized that President Hakainde Hichilema is determined to ensure that the peace experienced during the Chawama by-election is protected, upheld, and defended.
Mr. Mweetwa has since congratulated Forum for Democracy and Development -FDD- candidate Bright Nundwe for winning the election and urged him to work with President Hichilema in advancing national development.
He has assured that developmental projects in Chawama will continue regardless of how people voted, stating that election results should not affect service delivery.
Meanwhile, Political analyst Dr. Euston Chiputa says the scooping of the Chawama seat by a Tonse Alliance aligned party might be a sign of hope that the alliance will make a strong opposition in the august general elections.
In an interview with Phoenix News, Dr. Chiputa has advised the Alliance to unite for a purpose and feature credible candidates in the manner they did in the Chawama by-election.
Dr. Chiputa however notes that the scooping of the Chawama seat might also mean a sympathy vote, explaining that Chawama Constituency is a special case as it is a place where the late former President Edgar Lungu came from.
Mr. Nundwe polled 8,085 votes, beating his closest rival Morgan Muunda of the UPND who got 6,542 votes.
PHOENIX NEWS
What type of Democracy when the biggest opposition Political Party, the Patriotic Front is barred from participating in Elections and has to look for a long and winding path, just to be on the Ballot.
Is this your definition of democracy?
It’s your dictatorship which has made people very angry and want you out of power. You are a curse to our Multi Party Democracy and should be thrown in the Dustbin of political Rejects. That’s why people can’t even see your CDF, Imita Ufole, or Cash for work programs…They are soiled with your dictatorship.
When you were in opposition, you were allowed to participate in Elections. You get power, you start abusing state Institutions so that you compete with yourselves.
You don’t have any moral right to even talk about democracy… What a sham Zambia has ended up with! Come 13th August, 2026, it should go.
For once, no petitions. Just clean politics.
You can say that, Cornelius
It took time for me to practically visualize the flood plain theory from the man himself, because when you look at him the fore can be equated to the river itself and the sides can be equated to the flood plains because of vegetation, so when he goes on the shower, the speed at which water will move on the fore is faster than the speed at which water will flow on the side flood plains, so looking at that, he may have been 100% correct.