By SILUMESI MALUMO and OLIVER SAMBOKO
The Patriotic Front has no choice but to petition the shocking by-election results which were a result of massive violence and intimidation never witnessed before and the connivance of the police who have made no arrests, although some of the people were hacked and some of the vehicles shot at, near police stations, the Zambia Republican Party (ZRP) has said.
ZRP president, Wright Musoma said Police were actually complicit in the case of Chingola where the whole PF campaign team was detained for no apparent reason.
“But because urban people can not be intimidated, Chingola people voted for the PF,” Mr Musoma said.
In Mwense, PF campaigners were attacked at a police station where they had gone to report violence.
He claims that rural based voters were easily intimidated and therefore voted under duress, as the case was in Eastern Province where police actually arrested a PF preferred candidate on nomination day.
He said as such the results from Mwense and other places should therefore be challenged.
Meanwhile, renowned lawyer George Chisanga has said PF will take a position on the just ended by-election this week.
Mr Chisanga, who is also former Law Association of Zambia President, said the party has not yet made a decision whether to petition the elections or not.
Mr Chisanga said the party hierarchy will sit this week and decide.
The UPND has grabbed the Mkushi, Mwense and Lusangazi by elections which were held by the former ruling party, along with several other local government by elections.
UPND victory in the just held by-elections should be taken with a pinch of salt because is not a true reflection of the will of the people, Mr Musoma said.
He urged the PF to party to petition the election results in all areas where the opposition party lost.
And PF Mwense District chairlady Charity Mpundu said the UPND used violence during the by-elections
Ms Mpundu said the only things Dr Kambwili spoke about is the issue of late distribution of fertilizer and lack of medicines in public Health Institutions.
She Mr Kambwili also spoke about unity in the opposition party.
Ms Mpundu said a person by the name of Cynthia Chama who is claiming to be Mwense District Chairlady is an impostor.
“I’m there Chairlady for Mwense District so anyone claiming that she is a chairldy is just an imposter,” she said.
Ms Mpundu said the proper gander is being propagated by the UPND propaganda machinery. She said the UPND had no numbers in Mwense to win an election so have resorted to violence to intimidate the electorates.
