NO BY-ELECTION IN MALOLE - UPND
IT would be highly immoral for Speaker of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti to declare the Malole Constituency seat vacant and call for a by-election when the susbtantive legislator, Robert Kalimi is still capable of discharging his legislative duties, the Patriotic Front (PF) has said.
But Cornelius Mweetwa, the UPND spokesperson has stated that there shall be no by-election in Malole Constituency and that the ruling party aspiring candidate in the area. Dr Bishop Richard Mubanga who seem to have commenced his campaigns for the seat was only preparing himself for the 2026 general elections.
Dr Bishop Mubanga in a video that has gone viral is seen and heard declaring his readiness to contest the Malole seat and promising to construct roads, bridges and hospitals once elected on the UPND ticket.
Dr Bishop Mubanga, who in the UPND national management committee is vice chairman for finance and administration for religious affairs, declared that he was ready to contest the Malole seat on the UPND ticket and that the constituency needed a new representative.
“I shall build roads, schools, hospitals and that life in Malole should change. I shall not be an absentee MP because here is where I have my farms and I shall spend most of my time with the people here,” Dr Bishop Mubanga said.
But Emmanuel Mwamba, the PF information and publicity chairperson said it was highly immoral for the UPND to have commenced campaigns in Malole when the substantive MP was still alive and able to discharge his legislative duties.
“It is highly immoral to attempt and scheme to declare the Malole seat vacant and call for a by-election. As the PF we have shown high morality by not talking about the Shangombo MP, Mubika Mubika whom we are aware has not been too well and is rarely in Parliament.
The levels of lack of human empathy on the part of the UPND is not only shocking but satanic. Mr Kalima is recovering and he must be allowed to recover. He should not be forced to recover in the period prescribed by the UPND,” Mr Mwamba said.
He said the PF was aware that there were UPND lawmakers who were almost incapacitated but that the PF had never discussed such matters, it was not only inhuman but culturally unAfrican.
“We appeal to President Hakainde Hichilema to allow sanity to prevail in our politics. It is unfortunate that while President Hichilema is preaching about national values and principles, some people in his party were busy having evil schemes to remove Robert Kalimi from Parliament. We ask President Hichilema to practice the morality he preaches about,” Mr Mwamba said.
However, Mr Mweetwas, the Minister of Information and Media said the UPND was not aware that there was a pending by-election in Malole and that Dr Bishop Mubanga’s campagns were meant for the 2026 general elections.