PF victory in Mpongwe indicative of party strength

The ruling Patriotic Front (PF) in the Copperbelt province has said the party’s victory in the Mpongwe parliamentary and 30 other local government by-elections was an indication that it was getting stronger and bigger ahead of the 2016 tripartite elections.

PF Copperbelt Chairperson Robert Mwewa said the development was an indication that the party would easily win the 2016 general elections.

Mr. Mwewa said the PF has been winning most of the by-elections that have been held from September 2011 to date because of its well defined manifesto.

He told ZANIS in an interview that the by-elections the country has had so far have exposed the weaknesses of the opposition parties in terms of political mobilisation and organisation.

Mr. Mwewa has since commended the people of Mpongwe constituency for speaking for the PF through the ballot box and through its newly elected Member of Parliament Gabriel Namulambe.

The ruling PF scooped the Mpongwe parliamentary seat with a resounding victory and also managed to win 30 other local governments by-elections during the February 28, 2013 by elections in the Copperbelt, Central and Southern Provinces.

Mr. Namulambe beat his closest rival Rapson Chilufya of the United Party for National Development (UPND) with over 1,500 votes after he polled a total of 4, 600 votes from the 9,432 votes cast.

UPND’s Rapson Chilufya polled 3, 069 votes, Miniver Mutesa of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) got 901 votes, National Restoration Party’s (NAREP) Reagan Ndhlovu polled 588 while Kenny Kuveya of the United National Independent Party (UNIP) managed 110 votes.

The PF also scooped 30 other local government by-elections during the February 28 by-elections in local Government by elections across the country.

The PF won the Musofu, Mwatishi and Luswishi wards on the Copperbelt, the Baambwe ward in Namwala. In Central Province the PF won the Mpunde, Chikanda, Luanchele and Chisamba wards.

In North Western Province the PF scooped 13 of the 17 seats in the ward elections, while the ruling party also scooped three wards in Itezhi Tezhi and one in Mbala.

Meanwhile, the PF Special Strategist for the Mpongwe by-elections Bonnie Tembo urged the people of the Copperbelt and particularly residents of Ndola rural to work closely with government in order to development in their area.

Mr. Tembo said the opposition political parties had no capacity to develop the area hence it was vital that the people in Mpongwe align themselves with the government of the day.

He said the PF government was committed to developing all corners of the country in order to uplift people’s living standards as was enshrined in the ruling party’s manifesto.