By Patson Chilemba
Ruling UPND secretary general Batuke Imenda says the narrow margin of victory for the UPND over the PF in Kabwata does not matter, warning that PF will not exist in the next four years as “they will be sorted out with their stolen money.”
Imenda was speaking with Daily Revelation on the narrow election victory in Kabwata after the UPND candidate polled 13,574 ahead of PF’s Clement Tembo who polled 11,192 and the Socialist Party’s Tripher Ng’andu who polled 1,849 among others, compared with the 38,665 late UPND’s Levy Mkandawire got ahead of his closest PF opponent Danny Yenga at 31,675. Given the apathy which characterized the by-election as compared to the general election, the UPND vote margin reduced by 25,091 while the PF’s reduced by 20,483.
But asked if the victory margin should send worrying signs to the UPND given that they were very new in office, barely six months and still enjoying their honey moon, amid arguments from the PF that it was shameful for them to even celebrate yesterday’s victory, Imenda wondered what the PF’s reaction was to the fact that the ruling party also won council elections in Liangati and Milenge, in addition to winning Kabwata.
He said the margin did not matter, saying people expected too much from the outset but must give the new administration time.
“That is 3-0. Number two, in democracy, one vote is victory, it’s like in football you can score 10 goals, the points are still three, isn’t it? You can score 1-0 it’s still three points isn’t it? Yah! So basically people expected too much from the outset. People are yet to understand our policies as a party,” Imenda pleaded with Zambians, while sending warning shots towards the PF at the same time. “Give us up to end of five years you will see whether PF will exist, maybe other parties may emerge but not PF. We know they will be sorted out with their stolen money. They will be sorted out. This stolen money which they are splashing around we will see whether it will still be there five years from now.”
Imenda gave his perspective on the Kabwata by-election, including saying that people have not understood the removal of subsidies on fuel, which has pushed the pump price higher from where it was when the PF was leaving office.
“Well my reflection is that it was a very rough election. I would say I found it easier to win a general election than win in Kabwata. I am saying so because a lot of money exchanged hands. The PF, let me just says the opposition pumped in a lot of money. In fact if you can put it that it was a question of looted money versus ideas,” Imenda said. “We saw it especially yesterday, I saw a former minister calling people, someone in ECZ uniform being given something in full view of us spectators who were standing not very far from where they were. We saw at Mahopo what we saw there was unbelievably shameful.
Money was being pumped, people were being called as they are going to vote, called to a bar, given money and say when you come back, come and get more. We had to call the police. Later on you saw that video it was from the same area in Mahopo where those things were happening.”
Imenda continued.
“Varetta, there was a young lady who was busy paying people. She had a huge bag seated next to her where she was just busy doing all sorts of dirty work. So it was bad because the fuel increase was completely, not increase, the removal of subsidies was totally misunderstood and the vultures took advantage of that,” said Imenda. “They took advantage of that and the people were confused by the messages which were coming from the people who just wanted to benefit from a one day event. So basically Kabwata was not an election where ideas where ideas were exchanged but where it was good ideas versus money.”
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