We beat opposition 14-0 in by-elections, HH brags
Nation Reporter
We beat opposition 14-0 in by-elections, HH brags
Content Type: Free
…attributes the victory to the UPND’s growing national appeal, says the ruling party has officially been transformed into a national movement
By MUBITA KATETE
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has attributed the United Party for National Development’s (UPND) 14-0 clean sweep in last Friday’s by-elections to the party’s growing national appeal, saying it has transformed into a truly national political movement.
Mr Hichilema, through his Special Assistant for Political Affairs, Levy Ngoma, congratulated the ruling party and its candidates for winning all 14 seats contested across eight provinces.
Mr Ngoma said the victories demonstrated that UPND had expanded its political influence beyond its traditional strongholds and was increasingly gaining support across the country.
He said the outcome was comparable to the results of the August 13 general election, considering the number of seats contested and their geographical spread.
“The party’s victory in different parts of the country is a clear demonstration that the United Party for National Development has transformed itself into a truly national party,” Mr Ngoma said.
The 14 by-elections included the Lumezi and Mandevu parliamentary seats in Eastern and Lusaka provinces, respectively, and the Mbala mayoral seat in Northern Province.
Other contests involved two wards in Luapula Province, two in Muchinga, and four in Western Province and one in Southern Province.
Mr Ngoma said the President had also congratulated the winning candidates and commended other political players for participating in the elections, while praising the peaceful environment in which the polls were conducted.
Meanwhile, Mr Hichilema has urged the newly elected Members of Parliament, mayor and councillors to immediately begin serving their respective communities and translate their electoral victories into tangible development.
Mr Ngoma said the President had cautioned the elected leaders against becoming complacent after winning elections, emphasising that leadership was about service delivery.
“The President has directed all those elected to immediately get to the ground and work with their various communities because leadership is about service, and not just sitting with hands akimbo,” he said.
Mr Ngoma said the enhanced Constituency Development Fund (CDF), which currently stood at K40 million per constituency, provided elected leaders and local communities with resources to address development challenges.
He said the availability of the funds meant leaders had an obligation to ensure that communities benefited from the resources.
He added that the President expected the newly elected representatives to repay the confidence voters had placed in them through visible development and effective service delivery.
