By Christopher Miti
EASTERN Province UPND chairperson Johabie Mtonga says the ruling party has learnt lessons from the two defeats in the Kaumbwe and Lusangazi election.
And Mtonga says those who stole from the government will not be left scot-free.
The UPND lost the Kaumbwe parliamentary election in Petauke district and the Lusangazi district council chairperson poll to opposition PF.
After the loss, Mtonga said the party would carry out a thorough review of the elections and chart the way forward.
In an interview after the review meeting, Mtonga said the UPND relaxed after winning the August 12 general election.
“This issue after winning the elections in August, we became a bit relaxed because we were busy celebrating. Planning, we planned but things didn’t go our way,” he said. “UPND is a strong party in the province. If you look at the outcome of the general election PF got 50.7 per cent and UPND got 49.3 per cent in the province.”
Mtonga said the party would ensure it does not lose further elections in the province.
“From this defeat in Kaumbwe and Lusangazi, we have learnt a lot of things. We were relaxed but from the defeat I can assure the country at large that we are not going to lose any future elections to PF,” he declared. “People must remember that during the PF reign Petauke was a no-go area for UPND. There was a time when President Hakainde Hichilema came to the province before he became president, the environment was hostile and he was tear gassed.”
Mtonga said Petauke was a stronghold for former president Edgar Lungu and the PF.
“The other thing is that, those seats Kaumbwe and Lusangazi belonged to them. Former president Lungu hails from there. So, it was a taboo for us while in opposition to hold meetings in those places,” he said.
Mtonga said the PF should swallow the pride and accept that they were no longer in government.
“The President wants to unite this country. This country was divided. We all need to support this move by the Head of State. If President Hichilema was a bad person, some people would have fled the country,” he noted. “President Hichilema knows that Zambians want peace and want to live as One Zambia One Nation. If it was Lungu who had won the elections, some of us would have been in hiding.”
Mtonga said people should give UPND time to work.
“We are only two months in office as UPND. Zambians gave PF 10 years but they ended up enriching themselves. This is the reason why the unnecessary utterances by the PF are putting them more in trouble,” said Mtonga. “Those who were in government and stole government money should not feel that they will be left scot-free. The President is just putting his house in order and is doing things systematically.”