UPND did’t have competition in Kabushi, Kwacha – Mweetwa

THE Kabushi and Kwacha parliamentary by-elections were going to be more exciting had the United Party for National Development (UPND) faced stiffer competition from the opposition political parties, Cornelius Mweetwa, has said.

Speaking on ZNBC Sunday interview, Mr Mweetwa said the apathy that characterized the Kabushi and Kwacha by-elections was as a result of the electorate having known that the ruling party was going to sail through with easy and without real competition.

He said it was not possible for the two independents and other small political party candidates to win the elections in an election where the governing party was a major participant.

He explained that the UPND was not going to qualify the two victories in Kabushi and Kwacha as sweet victories as sweet because the ruling party did not have the competition or challengers that could have given the by-election the threshold of a competitive election.

He also charged that it is unfair to blame the UPND over the failure by other candidates to take part in the two by –elections because like any other party, the ruling party was equally a participant.

“We were in Kabushi and Kwacha by elections as a political party not as government just like any other political party under the supervision of Electoral Commission of Zambia and under the law therefore we cannot be blamed for anything that happened to other candidates. Even our members did not go there as ministers but as campaign chairperson and were using party positions, “Mr Mweetwa said.

He explained that the ruling party did not interfere in the operation of ECZ and the judiciary hence the reason after one year down the line it had not changed ConCourt Judges.