PF EXPOSES UPND’S DIRTY TACTICS IN KABWATA
…cancellation of the Kabwata by-election is UPND’s plan to give themselves a window to find a formula to manipulate the electoral outcome reveals MCC Nakacinda.
LUSAKA, Tuesday, January 11, 2022 (SMART EAGLES)
THE PATRIOTIC FRONT (PF) has laid bare UPND’s ‘dirty’ tactics which has led to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) cancelling the Kabwata by-election.
Speaking in an interview, PF Member of the Central Committee in Charge of Information and Publicity Raphael Nakacinda said the ECZ have played to the game of UPND who have instigated the resignation of United Progressive Party (UPP) Candidate Francis Libanda from the Kabwata race.
He said inducing Mr Libanda’s resignation was among the ruling party’s tactics because no one was willing to engage with them in their proposed violent campaigns.
He alleged that the UPND have tried to use different tactics in the Kabwata by-election which among them included trying to use law enforcement agencies to try and prevent PF Candidate Clement Tembo from contesting.
At a briefing yesterday, the ECZ also announced that fresh nominations will be done on a yet to be announced date and have since suspended campaigns.
And Hon Nakacinda said this was the UPND’s plan to give themselves a window to find a formula to manipulate the process with the hope of finding someone to send to Parliament.
He said what is more surprising is that the candidate for United Progressive Party resigned twice.
“How can someone resign twice except the fact that it is premeditated meant to give the UPND a window to find a formula to manipulate the process with the hope that they would find someone to send to Parliament.
“Here is a person who could not be accessed by his party leadership, but could be accessed by the UPND. He sent a letter which could not invoke fresh nominations. He was instructed to write a fresh letter by the UPND which has invoked article 52 and necessitated cancellation of the election,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hon Nakachinda has also revealed other tactics which were used earlier by the UPND to try and disfranchise PF Candidate Clement Tembo from contesting.
He said the first attempt was to try and use law enforcement agencies to have Mr Tembo arrested to prevent him from filing his nomination papers.
MCC Nakachinda said this was followed by threats of violence through UPND members like William Banda.
“On the day of nomination, they went round Kabwata particularly Chilenje Market looting shops, terrorising people through violence.
“When they saw our approach in the campaign was selling the message to the people of kabwata through door to door campaigns and other means. They eventually instigated the resignation of the member of UPP,” he said.
MCC Nakachinda has since stated that the PF is determined to work with the people of Kabwata to make sure that the Zambian People send a strong message to reject lies from politicians when ever we are campaigning or seeking a vote.
