PF happy with Feira election result

The ruling Patriotic Front (PF) is delighted about winning yesterday’s Feira parliamentary by-election with a land slide margin in Lusaka province.

Party Deputy Secretary General Bridget Atanga said this was a true testimony that the PF was a party which has been embraced by all Zambians because of the good works it was doing for the people.

Ms. Atanga told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that Feira was a rich constituency but was neglected by the former ruling party, the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD).

She said the people of Feira want to have the area developed hence have decided to vote Patrick Ngoma on the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) ticket.

She added that the PF government won the Feira seat because of infrastructure development such as the construction of roads, installing of electricity and other important projects in the area.

Ms. Atanga said the opposition has been taught a lesson in Luangwa adding that this should be a permanent message for them that the PF was not a party to dare during elections.

And opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) refused to comment on the outcome of the just ended Feira parliamentary by-elections.

UPND Secretary General Winston Chibwe said he was not in the position to comment on the just ended by-elections.

Mr. Chibwe referred all queries to party deputy spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa who could however, not be reached because his mobile phone was outside coverage area.

Meanwhile, Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) deputy National Secretary Chembe Nyangu said it was sad that his party has lost an election.

Mr. Nyangu told ZANIS that his party lost the by-election because the PF allegedly told people that if they do not vote for the ruling party, Feira would not be developed.

He however stated that the loss the party has suffered in Feira will not deter them from working hard for future elections.

And National Restoration Party (NAREP) National Secretary Reverend Jevan Kamanga said his party was currently making a compressive report pertaining to the just ended Feira by-election.

Rev. Kamanga said the report will soon be issued to all media houses in the nation to inform the Zambian people on what happens whenever there are by-elections in the country.

He said he cannot rule out the issue of violence and vote buying during the Feira by elections, but insisted that NAREP will highlight all the anomalies noticed during the just ended elections.

In the early hours of today, the returning officer for Feira parliamentary by-election announced that the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) candidate, Patrick Ngoma has won seat in the the by-election.

Mr. Ngoma polled 3,529 votes to beat his nearest rival Eualaria Zulu of the United Party for National Development (UPND) who has polled 967 votes.

Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) candidate Elias Phiri, who in the third place, has polled 617 votes while United National Independence Party (UNIP) candidate Charles Kanyama got 344 votes to come out fourth in the by-election.

National Restoration Party (NAREP) candidate Samuel Sikaonga is the least in the fifth place with 63 votes.

A total of 5, 615 votes were cast and counted from 31 polling stations of the constituency.

The Feira Parliamentary seat fell vacant when the then MMD Member of Parliament Patrick Ngoma resigned from his position to join the ruling PF.