By Merlyn Mwanza
PF candidate in the cancelled Kabwata by-elections Clement Tembo says the people of Kabwata are ready to effect punishment on the ruling UPND for the fake promises made to them in the run up to the 2021 general elections.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Tembo said the relationship between the ruling UPND and the Zambian people was an abusive one, which Zambians were now ready to move from barely four months after resoundingly voting for the UPND.
He said it was actually the people themselves doing the campaigns in Kabwata, saying the elections have been canceled as the ruling party noticed that things were not going well for them in the ground.
“You can’t remain in an abusive relationship,” Tembo said, adding that hunger issues knew no allegiance to partisanship.
He said while people were promised miracles by President Hakainde Hichilema, in form of improved lower cost of living, things were now getting worse, with high toll fees, increased fuel and electricity prices, and that bus fares were now at their highest, while prices of goods in shops still kept going up and the Kwacha was depreciating against other major convertible currencies.
Tembo said no matter the delay, people will still have their say in Kabwata, urging them to continue advocating for change, and wait to speak through the ballot rather than going to the streets and becoming violent.
“We want to demonstrate through Kabwata that power belongs to the people,” said Tembo.
The ECZ recently cancelled parliamentary by-elections in Kabwata after the UPP candidate pulled away from the race. The PF have accused the UPND of sponsoring the move fearing that they would lose the election, and also to give them chance to change their candidate.
But the UPND have dismissed those assertions, saying they could not fear losing a seat they won resoundingly only four months ago.
