THIRTEEN Patriotic Front (PF) members have applied for adoption as parliamentary candidates for the Solwezi West seat while nine intend to contest the Lubansenshi parliamentary by-election on the ruling party’s ticket.
PF chairperson for elections Emmanuel Mpakata said in an interview yesterday that the party has already conducted interviews at constituency and district levels for candidates wishing to contest the Solwezi West parliamentary seat.
“Interviews for the district and constituency in Solwezi West have already taken place. We are remaining with the provincial ones coming on Wednesday next week,” Mr Mpakata said.
The Solwezi West parliamentary seat fell vacant after the death of Humphrey Mwanza while the Lubansenshi poll has been necessitated by the Supreme Court’s nullification of the election of Patrick Mucheleka.
Mr Mpakata said district, constituency and provincial interviews for the Lubansenshi seat will be concluded by Saturday this week.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has set September 24 as the day for the by-election.
And the United Party for National Development (UPND) says it will contest the Solwezi West and Lubansenshi parliamentary seats while the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) will only contest the Lubansenshi seat.
UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma said in an interview yesterday that the opposition party is in the process of identifying candidates to contest the two parliamentary by-elections.
“We are in the process of identifying people to participate but for Lubansenshi, if Patrick Mucheleka will be interested to work with UPND, then we can work with him,” he said.
FDD spokesperson Antonio Mwanza said the party will by Thursday next week select a candidate to contest the Lubansenshi by-election.
Mr Mwanza said the FDD national policy committee is currently scrutinising candidates to contest the seat.
“By next week, we will have a name of a candidate in the Lubansenshi by-election but we will not be participating in the Solwezi west parliamentary by-election,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Mucheleka claimed the people of Lubansenshi feel cheated because he won the parliamentary seat and he was surprised by the Supreme Court’s nullification of his election.
“I will make a statement in the next few days about my next course of action. Right now, I am reflecting on what happened,” he said.
Just stand on UPND ticket …. why reflect…..you done politically …… you used Sata’s name nd the donations from CCPJ to win in Lubansenshi seat…… what are you reflecting on
Ulichipuba he used sata’s how? That is the problem with you chaps who fail to analyse issues. Do you really think that mucheleka used money from CCPJ for and the entire organization let him do that? When you have the favor of the people and they trust you you do not need to give them money to vote for you. Look what happened to RB, despite him dishing out millions of money in 2011, he still lost to sata. Just to remind you Mucheleka never stole or used Sata’s name, otherwise he would not have been an independent.
Just stand you corrupt 1diot.The 2 Rich Fools(2RF)will fund your campaign.
Just stand on Upnd ticket,the 2RichFuuls (2RF)will fund your campaign .
Reflecting? Just stand on Upnd ticket. The 2 Rich Fuulz(2RF) will fund your campaign.
But uli cikopo wajimona…
U lost the seat becoz u a dull and were being used by the cartel . . .manje waona!
viva mucheleka, viva upnd, we shall camp for u in lubanseshi propagating the good news in the UPND. just fear not and stand on UPND ticket my brother, GBM is there, mama nalumango is there, tukabanaya. dont worry.