Sata's plans backfire as MMD loses three more seats

ARTHUR SIMUCHOBA
Correspondent | Friday August 2, 2013 00:00

The PF won only one seat, raising questions whether President Michael Sata's policy of encouraging defections from the opposition to boost the ruling party's ranks has backfired. Three of the by-elections were due to defections from the opposition Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) to the PF. Since assuming power in 2011, the PF has pursued a policy of enticing opposition MPs with various incentives to cross the floor in its bid to secure a parliamentary majority.  In this round, however, it only won one of the three seats that became vacant through its covert tactics.

The largest and somewhat unlikely beneficiary was the United Party for National Development (UPND), which won two seats, one for the first time in the densely-populated Copperbelt Province. It won another in the North-West.The PF only wrestled a seat previously held by the MMD in Central Zambia.The ruling party was comprehensively beaten in the crucial seat of Chipata - the capital of the Eastern Province. The MMD polled 8,186 against 5,913 votes for the PF to retain the seat it lost through a petition. The PF had invested considerably in the campaign with the aim of wrestling the provincial capital away from the opposition. But it turned out to be mission impossible.

The leader of the opposition Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) and former finance minister, Edith Nawakwi said the results showed that people were fed up with the 'arrogance and insensitivity' of the PF. She said the majority were no longer interested in the PF lies.    The winning UPND candidate in the Solwezi East constituency, Villie Lombanya, said the results had taught the PF a lesson and they are a warning that people could not be taken for granted to forever revel in the theoretical politics of the PF. He said the two victories were a clear message by Zambians that they are angry with the PF.

MMD spokesman, Muhabi Lungu said the by-elections were good for the opposition. 'This is a good day for the opposition. The MMD worked hard to win the Chipata seat. We are happy and satisfied with the result because we have also won two local government seats,' he said. However, the PF downplayed the setbacks, perhaps aware that more bad news may be in store. Four more by-elections are in the pipeline in areas where it does not have much support. PF secretary-general Wynter Kabimba and the acting Information Minister, Fackson Shamenda went out of their way to congratulate the winners.      'Government joins the PF secretary general in congratulating the winning political parties, namely the ruling Patriotic Front, opposition MMD and UPND, on their victories. Government also congratulates the electorate in the four constituencies for exercising their democratic right to choose leaders in a peaceful manner,' said Shamenda.

A statement from the PF secretariat said the party hoped to do better in future. 'We hope to do better next time in explaining our policies and programmes and we believe the people will reconsider their options and vote for the PF, which is committed to developing Zambia,' the statement said. Despite the overall impression that the PF was beaten, the biggest loser was the MMD because it held the four seats that were the subject of by-elections and recovered only one. On the other hand, the PF increased its tally in the National Assembly to 70 members, 10 more than when it assumed power following the September 28, 2011 elections. It requires only five more seats to command half of the elective seats in the 150-member house.

(Sila Press Agency)