UPND REVIVES OPERATION WATERMELON FOR 2021 ELECTION
The United Party for National Development (UPND) is reviving its watermelon concept ahead of the 2021 election.
The idea is that voters can appear to support the Patriotic Front (PF) by being green on the outside, when really they are red (UPND) and will vote for the opposition on August 12th.
The strategy hopes to reassure voters who are scared of the intimidation and threats they may receive if they are vocal in their support for the opposition. Past elections have seen those wearing UPND regalia targeted by PF cadres. In the run up to the 2016 polls tensions were also high between police and opposition supporters, notoriously culminating in the fatal shooting of UPND Mapenzi Chibulo who was gunned down by police during the campaign period.
The watermelon concept also encourages UPND supporters to take advantage of the PF giveaways ahead of elections as the PF once did when it used the donchi kubeba slogan to boot out MMD. The ruling party has already been giving out gifts such as bicycles, with the opposition and civil society questioning how they are funding such gestures at a time when the economy is failing, and many are struggling with the increased cost of living.
“We call upon all well-meaning Zambians to unite and use the watermelon concept to kick out PF. There is nothing wrong in eating whatever PF is giving you now, but on 12th August do a watermelon on them. Think of your future and that of your innocent children first. We all have the responsibility of kicking out PF. Throw away the green part of the watermelon on 12th August. Enter the polling booth as PF but come out smiling as UPND,” the UPND’s Percy Chanda has advised voters.
Chanda reassured voters that the poll is secret and that because they will be alone in the polling booth the PF will not know who they have voted for.
“Through the watermelon concept we can reclaim our once prosperous and peaceful Zambia. UPND will restore the respect that Zambians enjoyed before. HH and his team will create jobs and stabilize the economy by revamping the dead industrial base. Under PF Zambia has become a dumping ground of sub-standard goods because we can’t manufacture even a toothpick. Our industries are warehouses for imported sub-standard goods. PF has induced poverty in order to control Zambians, we must unite and kick out PF,” Chanda continued.
