Peter Daka left scratching his belly…….. as PF wins Msanzala seat

Msanzala, Petauke

THE Ruling Patriotic Front (PF) candidate Colonel Joseph Lungu has scooped the Msanzala parliamentary seat beating his close rival from the opposition MMD Peter Daka with a margin of 3,107 votes.

Five months ago during the tripartite election, Mr Daka was defeated by the same candidate who had contested the same seat as an independent candidate by 2,000 votes.

And the ruling PF has also scooped the two local government election in same constituency. Colonel Lungu who is the immediately past independent area Member of Parliament (MP) resigned to join the ruling PF together with two other independent counselors.

Returning officer Magdalene Muntinta said Col Lungu polled 7,172 votes beating Mr Daka who trailed on 4,065. Independent Candidate Usuman Maumba managed to get 355 votes while UNIP candidate Shadrick Banda only managed 201 votes.

Ms Muntinta who announced the result outside the Petauke Civic Centre yesterday at 09:50 said a total of 12,014 votes were cast and only 221 votes were rejected as invalid. There was jubilation among the PF cadres who had gathered outside the civic centre as they awaitedfor the officially announcement of the results.

The announcing of results was delayed due to the deplorable poor road networks leading five of the polling stations situated deep in the valley.

The Electoral Commissioner of Zambia (ECZ) has to use the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) Chopper to ferry the results from the remaining five polling stations

This is the first parliamentary seat for the ruling party in eastern province which is perceived as the stronghold of the opposition MMD who are currently commanding 14 of the 17 parliamentary seats in the province.

Opposition Forum for Development and Democracy (FDD) Party Vice President Chifumu Banda who is also Parliamentary Committee Chairman is the Chansefu constituency MP, while Charles Zulu who has since been appointed Energy deputy minister now becomes the only independent MP in the province.

During September 20 tripartite elections , the ruling PF had scooped the Chama South constituency seat but with the formation of the Muchinga province in whose jurisdiction Chama district now falls, the situation had left the ruling PF with not parliamentary seat in the province.

In an interview shortly after the results were officially announced, Col Lungu pledged to use the PF plans to develop the remote constituency.

Col Lungu who was accompanied by his campaign manager the deputy vice president Edgar Lungu said his priority would be to work on the deplorable roads including sinking more boreholes in the area

MMD Provincial chairperson Ezekiel Mtonga congratulated the PF for emerging victorious in Thursday’s parliamentary polls.

However, he complained that the polls were not free and fair and accused the ruling PF of buying some votes from the electorates.

‘Congratulation to the PF, as MMD we concede defeat we will go back to the drawing board and see where we have going wrong as a party, but apart from that our colleagues from the ruling PF were buying votes from electorates in Msanzala.

MMD Msanzala parliamentary by election campaign manager Victoria Kalima accused the ruling PF of intimidating people in Msanzala constituency.

In conceding defeat, Mr Maumba who contested the seat as an independent candidate after being left out during the adoption process by the MMD said the elections were free and fair.

He said he was happy that Colonel Lungu had won adding that it would have been a big disaster for the people of Msanzala constituency if Mr Daka had won the polls.

‘I concede defeat by congratulating Colonel Joseph Lungu for winning the seat again. It would have been retrogressive if the MMD candidate Peter Daka had won the seat because he is a very selfish and greed” said the 35 year- old-travel consultant.

UNIP Provincial Chairperson Donald Sakala congratulated the PF party for winning the parliamentary seat.

Mr Sakala said UNIP would continue participating in all future elections until the party bounced back into power.

And Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) Information, Research and Publicity chairman Isaac Ngoma bemoaned the low number of turn out in the parliamentary polls.

He said FODEP was going to issue a comprehensive report on the Msanzala parliamentary by election.

In the Nyakawise ward local government by election, PF Candidate James Lungu polled 1,562 votes while the

MMD candidate RabsonTembo had 664 votes, while UNIP candidate Andrew Ntharamanaged 41 votes.

Out of the 2,316 total number of ballot papers cast 49 were rejected while no ballot papers were disputed.

In Lusangazi ward local government by election PF candidate William Banda got 423 votes while MMD candidate Harrison Mwanza managed 279 votes.

Out of a total number of 722 cast votes, 20 ballot papers were declared rejected.

UNIP did not feature a candidate in this local government by election.