UPND should blame itself for election losses

WHEN your Grade 7 child sitting for an examination tells you that he will excel in some subjects and fail in some, just know that he is not ready for the examinations.

That is a polite way of informing you in advance so that you don't scold him when results come out negative.

On the other hand, when he tells you confidently that he will pass all the subjects even though he is not smart, then start preparing for school fees because he may surprise you and indeed pass with flying colours due to his overconfidence.

In view of this, the opposition UPND was sadly bold enough to inform the nation that they will not win all the seats in the just ended by-elections. And it came to pass.

On the other hand, PF bragged that they will scoop all the seats even though it seemed that it was walking on a tight rope. They almost swept all the seats.

That PF scooped 13 out of 14 seats including those in perceived UPND strongholds was a result of the words spoken by their secretary-general. The Bible too clearly states that there is power in the tongue.

Just as it was in the Chilanga parliamentary by-election, the UPND approached the election feebly by featuring a wrong candidate.

To remove the tribal tag, the party opted to pick a Bemba woman Charmaine Musonda, hoping her tribemates will be fooled to vote for her. It did not go that way.

In similar fashion, the already dying NDC, picked a lady just for gender balancing and she campaigned on the premise that women must vote for her simply because they were majority voters. It too came to naught.

Indeed, PF’s Miles Sampa had a field day as he was backed by all PF MPs based in Lusaka and being a former Matero lawmaker, he surely had an edge over the rest.

I, therefore, congratulate Mr Sampa on his election as Mayor of Lusaka as well as all those who took part in the mayoral byelection despite massive voter apathy.

Who is to blame for this voter apathy? I think the answer lies in the voters, and so those who did not vote should not complain.

BORNIFACE CHAKWIYA, Chongwe.