I’ll face UPND brutality head on – Jean Chisenga

By NATION REPORTER

JEAN Chisenga, the Patriotic Front (PF) Mambilima Member of Parliament says being characterized as a thug by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) is part of the process of the continued persecution of opposition MPs but has vowed she will not bow down to UPND harassment and machinations.
Ms Chisenga, who has suffered several suspensions from Parliament ever since she called President Hakainde Hichilema a “liar” said in an interview that she was aware of a grand scheme by UPND to kill multi-party democracy.
“Like I have always stated, I am not going to bend down to UPND. Brutal as they are, I will face their brutality head-on but they will not kill the spirit inside me,” she said.
Ms Chisenga is currently serving seven-day suspension from Parliament for “disorderly conduct” and is only expected to be back in the House on Wednesday, November 27, 2024.
The prolific lawmaker was amongst those who allegedly stormed the nomination centre for the Kawambwa by-election, demanding that they commission should be professional and avoid being partisan.
ECZ has since branded Ms Chisenga a thug alongside Lusaka lawyer Celestine Mukandila.
However, Mr Mukandila has dared the electoral body to take him to court and he has since said he will write to demand for an apology from ECZ.
Mr Mukandila has called ECZ a joke and wondered why an official from the elections body wanted to “consult” before receiving the nomination papers of a New Congress Party candidate who has the backing of the Tonse Alliance, an an alliance that has since adopted Zambia’s Sixth President, Edgar Lungu as its presedential candidate for the 2026 general election.
The Kawambwa seat, previously held by Nickson Chilangwa the jailed PF deputy secretary general was declared vacant after he was jailed on a charge on arson an incident that happened shortly before the 2021 general election.
Despite an appeal case and a stay before the courts of law, ECZ went ahead to call for the election with Vice President Mutale Nalumango justifying the move saying the stay was not against the electoral body.
The Tonse Alliance said while it did not agree with the illegality of the election, it would file a candidate under the ticket of New Congress Party and it was during the filling in of nominations that drama unfolded with Mr Mukandila and Ms Chisenga vowing to stop the process if their candidate was not accepted.