UPND Chilanga adoption uproar

UPND’s adoption of Charmaine Musonda as parliamentary candidate for Chilanga constituency by-election has angered party officials on the Copperbelt.

The officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, indicated that the decision to adopt Ms Musonda was not in the best interest of the party.

Ms Musonda was recently acquitted of the murder of a security guard Mr Namakambwa Kalila Kwenda in which she was jointly charged with the former Chilanga MP, Keith Mukata.

Mukata was subsequently convicted and sentenced to death by the Lusaka High Court.

The officials stated that it was the view of most members that their feelings on the matter had been ignored and feared that the party could lose the seat.

“We are equally shocked by the development in the Chilanga adoption though we are being assured by the leadership that the due process of adoption was followed.

“But looking at the circumstances and the image of the candidate in the public domain, we feel we are simply giving the seat on a silver platter to other contestants,” said an official who was in the company of others.

The officials said they were at pains to convince the public going because of the history of the candidate in question.

They indicated that the party had accommodated dormant leaders which resulted in the disastrous performance in the recent Local Government by-elections

The party, they said, needed fresh minds if it had to make an impact on the Zambian political landscape.