United Party for National Development (UPND) says former Lubanseshi member of Parliament (MP) Patrick Mucheleka is a party member and is free to re-contest the seat on the party ticket in the September 24 Parliamentary by-election.
Divisions have rocked the rank and file of the opposition party in Lubanseshi following intentions by the party to adopt Mr Mucheleka as its candidate in the by-election.
But UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma said in an interview yesterday that party members interested in contesting the seat should tender their applications instead of fighting Mr Mucheleka.
“As you may be aware, Mr Mucheleka supported the candidature of our party leader Hakainde Hichilema in the run-up to the January 20, 2015 presidential election and so he is one of us.
“So Mr Mucheleka, just like any other party member, is free to apply to be adopted on the party’s ticket in the by-election. What party members should know is that they will not be considered for adoption unless they go through the necessary processes,” he said.
Mr Kakoma, however, could not disclose whether Mr Mucheleka had applied to contest the seat on the party’s ticket.
“We are just waiting to receive recommendations from the lower organs before we can interview the aspiring candidates,” Mr Kakoma said.
On Friday, UPND Lubanseshi district chairperson Maxwell Mwape revealed that there was confusion in the constituency because founder members felt sidelined.
Comment: Good move but let Hon Mucheleka disclose his intentions to contest on upnd ticket or not,to those aggrieved plz give this man another chance for he is known & popular,otherwise adoptin a new member shall be a big home work
There is a cow milk drinking party in chingola, orphaned and negleted PF members have turn up in numbers to join UPND,,, Copperbelt has been turned upside down with cow milk,,, UPND are new breaking grounds!!…
cow milk/mabisi or whisky on an empty stomach??,, the battle is on,, before the war in 2016
UPND are doing it right, candidates are free to apply. Unlike in PF, MPs are forced on people, just imagine what just happened with Kelvin Sampa for Kasama constituency.
@Nostradamus
Why are you surprised with PF???,,,,, in UPND their members are not forced to drink cow milk, but in PF, members are forced to drink whisky and vodka, if the refuse they get fired from PF
MPs in PF are forced on people yet they have won 7 in a roll. Ironic.
You mean in a row and not roll
Ati mucheleka is a party member y becoz he supported upnd in 2015 are u saying mulongoti msoni edwin sakala are pf members coz they supported pf.
Of course YES – Do you have common sense at all you id.iot?
Mulongoti and Msoni have only changed ther minds after YOU MOR.ONS in PF did a Donchi kubeba on them!!
what pf do not know is that upnd only needa 15% of votes from lp,cb,np to win 2016 the 400000 to 35 of northwestern votes will see upnd celebrate
Mucheleka this is good so that your may be vindicated as the man the people want not making political noise like guy scort people must decide good talibani or bad talibani this is rubbish. If your upnd be upnd it’s stupid to be pf and behave upnd or upnd behaving pf from independent to upnd this is nice let our democracy grow .
Mucheleka was too talkative and now he is as quiet as water in a small river.The writing is on the wall ! He has no chance of getting that seat again.Bye bye to parliament motel !
Calorine: Why cant you just wait for the elections instead of hallucinating! You have never been an MP yourself and you will never ever be in your filthy life!! Just shabby that lunacy in your smelly Ars.eWhore!!
Mucheleka or umuchele ? Where are you now my brother ? I feel for you because there is no doubt that PF is getting it.If i were you,i was going to retire from politics to save the little resources or else people will just finish your money and you will remain poor.
Jackson, if all people who lost elections retired then what? DO you know how much money mucheleka has or do you think his life is only politics? Do not get carried by rhetoric that is written on blogs, some people are above petty issues. Mucheleka type of are needed to pressure the govt to work and stop stealing, otherwise we will just be going backwards with pf. Let him try he has all the right and the electorate will decide after all.
Kakoma you have resurfaced after suffering the shock you had in Zambezi West ! That girl surely did kolopa.com on you.Indeed it will be in your best interest to get a permanent Job on any of HH’s farms milking mabisi.2016 wont be easy for you again.
What is crucial is UPND narrowing the gap in pf strongholds before 2016. With GBM in upnd, tremors are already being felt on the c/belt. Wind of change is blowing towards upnd.
When UPND lose the remaining by-elections will they change their strategy and leadership? Or will it be business as usual?
Let Mr Mucheleka decide which party to stand under. It no longer matters since opposition party members are also just eyeing jobs in government.
I am extremely unhappy about the behaviour of our GRZ regarding Zamtel. It was wrong for them to grab a company which was on course under the ownership of Lap Green. We do not know how much Lap Green was compensated for that bad “communist” step the PF government took under emotion. Why can we not learn from previous bad experiences with state ownership? Until Zambia has proper separation of powers where the party in government will be checked by law, state ownership will remain party ownership. Due to ignorance most Zambians believe that so-called state property belongs to Zambians while private property does not. If you Zambians own…
some imbecile called chilyata who z out of touch wit reality thinks merely supporting a party secures u membership mucheleka z sharp he does want to be embarrassed on upnd ticket if the so called political heavy weight gbm chickened out wht about mucheleka ?
some imbecile called chilyata who z out of touch wit reality thinks merely supporting a party secures u membership mucheleka z sharp he does not want to be embarrassed on upnd ticket if the so called political heavy weight gbm chickened out wht about mucheleka ?
Only an Ar.se lke you can reach such a clearly misguided and moronc conclusion but Yes, keep on dreaming and hallucinating you little puppy – if it helps to console your childish mind and ego!!
BA LT DONT CENSOR ME LETS CALL A SPADE A SPADE NT A SPADE A SPATURA
Mucheleka, is a smart person, he served his constuency very well ans an independent. This time with the help of UPND , it’s just a walk over. Very intelligent guy indeed
Zambian Journalist please when are you going to learn to write to inform, not everyone knows the story behind Patrick Mucheleka at least dedicate at least one paragraph about the brief history and why he is re-contesting.
@chilyata
It does not matter whether i have been an MP or not.I am an objective Zambian citizen pointing out issues as they stand.Your friends in PF seem to be well organized unlike you who are cheating Mucheleka to re contest on UPND.He will just waste his resources.The Bangweulu voting pattern will repeat it self.U so called chilyata will not be there to vote.Just keep your smelling mouth shut.Mucheleka himself has shut up his mouth now…..who are u to continue yapping ?
Comment: Poor Mucheleka, smeared with the stench of UPND.
Mucheleka will soon be like Kakoma without a constituency due to corruption.It will be a good idea for HH to employ the two on his farm to be milking the animals and at least gain a permanent salary.