The United Party for National Development (UPND) has said that they have received the news of the Kabwata by-election cancellation with shock.
Speaking to ZANIS in Choma, UPND Spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa said that much as the party respects the constitution, the Electoral Commission of Zambia should have allowed the election to go ahead.
Mr. Mweetwa who was also Kabwata’s by-election campaign manager said that his party is however ready at any time to go back for campaigns.
However, Socialist Secretary-General Dr. Cosmas Musheke Musumali, speaking on Diamond TV, has charged that the constitution and electoral process is being abused and hijacked, adding that the credibility for the reasons for the withdrawal are flimsy and called upon the law enforcement agencies to investigate immediately as some allegations are very severe for the democratic dispersion of Zambia.
In the same vein, Socialist Party Candidate Tripher Ng’andu said that the move is a waste of resources and taxpayers’ money.
Mr. Ng’andu said that the money that has been used for nominations and campaigns would have been channeled to other sectors of society.
He told ZNBC News in a telephone interview that there is a need for reforms that must change the clause in the Constitution.
And the Patriotic Front (PF) Member of the Central Committee in Charge of Information and Publicity Raphael Nakacinda charged that the ECZ has played to the game of UPND who have instigated the resignation of United Progressive Party (UPP) Candidate Francis Libanda from the Kabwata race.
Mr. Nakacinda 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.
Mr. Nakacinda 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.
Mr. Nakacinda said that cancellation 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, noting that 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 premeditatedly 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 the cancellation of the election,” he said.
And, People’s Alliance for Change Candidate Sydney Zyambo said the cancellation is regrettable and called for new reforms in the Constitution, so that even if one person resigns, by elections are allowed to go ahead.
Meanwhile, Economic Equity Party candidate Chilufya Tayali he is disappointed because he has spent money on campaign materials and that it is expensive to start all over again for fresh nominations.
He told ZNBC NEWS that the move is also expensive on the part of the Electoral Commission