Tribal voting worries UPND official

WE are shocked to learn that people voted on regional and on traditional cousinship in the just ended local government election across the country, says Sinazongwe UPND spokesperson George Bbabbi.

In an interview with the Daily Nation, Mr Bbabbi said, said there was an urgent need for the leaders and the Zambian people to change in the manner they were voting, because if this is left unchecked, it would bring division in the nation.

Mr Bbabbi said such a voting pattern was dangerous and it should not be encouraged. Leaders should start sensitizing the electorates on the dangers of voting on tribal lines.

He described the just ended local government elections for council chairpersons and ward councillors as worrying and that it should not be entertained by well-meaning Zambians.

“This country is deeply and extremely divided and the only way to end these divisions and voting patterns is to call for a national’ indaba’ where all the stakeholders, political parties, NGOs, church motherbodies and traditional leaders gather and discuss about the voting pattern being witnessed in the recent past,” said Mr Bbabbi.

“We are lucky as a country that Dr Kenneth Kaunda and many others who ruled the country during the UNIP days are still alive and as a country, let us bring them on board and sensitise our people and leaders on the importance of national unity as well as voting pattern,” he said.

Last week the ruling party scooped eight seats out of 11 contested for in council chairpersons and ward by-elections in the just-ended local government elections.

The UPND only won three wards in its traditional strongholds.