Maravi

UNIP candidate asks Mufumbwe to feel sorry for him

UNIP candidate asks Mufumbwe to feel sorry for him
By David Chongo and Misheck Wangwe in Mufumbwe
Tue 06 Nov. 2012, 14:30 CAT

UNIP candidate in this Thursday's Mufumbwe by-election, Steven Kamwengo, has begged the people of Mufumbwe to feel sorry for him and elect him MP because he has contested the seat many times but failed.

And UNIP vice-president Njekwa Anamela has urged the electorate in Mufumbwe to elect an opposition candidate as member of parliament this Thursday, saying it is not important for the ruling party to win because any good government must be able to work with any popularly-elected leader.

At a rally addressed by Anamela to drum up support for him ahead of the poll, Kamwengo, in a heated address to his supporters many of whom just wore plain red T-shirts, said Mufumbwe people were his witnesses that he had contested the seat previously and failed but that on Thursday they should feel sorry for him and get him elected because this was his third time trying.

He urged voters to ignore MMD candidate Stafford Mulusa because he was not a resident of Mufumbwe.

He said Mulusa was a Solwezi resident who was not registered to vote in Mufumbwe and so he would not even vote for himself.

Kamwengo told the gathering that when elected, he would help to improve communication in the district, ensure the erection of a bridge on Musonweji River connecting chief Mushima Mubambe's area with the rest of Mufumbwe, as it could only be accessed through Kasempa.

Kamwengo was the UNIP candidate in the 2010 by-election that was won by Eliot Kamondo who stood on the UPND ticket.

He was also the party's candidate in last September's general election that ushered the PF to power.

This time, Kamwengo is battling it out with PF's Steven Masumba and MMD's Mulusa.

Meanwhile, Anamela said that PF must not be allowed to win Mufumbwe because it was not important that the ruling party candidate must win.

He urged the people to emulate the electorate in Livingstone Central and Muchinga constituencies who voted for opposition candidates so that PF did not have a majority in Parliament which he said was not good for democracy.

Anamela said local democracy should continue to be strengthened so that it worked to bring development for people with a focus on reducing poverty by enabling access to basic needs.

He accused the ruling PF of having selfishly created the Mufumbwe by-election in order to test its popularity in North Western barely one year after its candidate won the seat under MMD.

Anamela said the PF lacked focus and respect for the welfare of the people and asked that the ruling party should rather concentrate on consolidating its commitments to the people.

Meanwhile, PF parliamentarians led by Miles Sampa and Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba on Sunday staged a campaign walk for Masumba.
The walk dubbed 'Walk to Parliament for Masumba' was characterised by singing and dancing to PF campaign songs that were played on loudspeakers mounted on PF campaign vehicles.

Hundreds of Mufumbwe residents and PF supporters joined the walk along the famous Mutanda-Chavuma road.

The match started from Chizela turnoff, proceeded to Shukwe area and later they walked back to Mufumbwe Boma using the main Mutanda-Chavuma road.
The parliamentarians that spoke through Sampa promised the people that Masumba would not fail the people in the constituency, adding that the government would do everything possible to deliver on its promises.

Sampa said the people of Mufumbwe were yet to see tangible development, hence the need for them to give the PF chance to work with them in delivering development through Masumba.

He said Masumba would never let people down as he was their son who had dedicated himself that he would work tirelessly to deliver the much-needed development.

"We wish our colleagues the opposition all the best in this election but we have given ourselves hundred per cent win. This peaceful walk and the huge crowd that joined us speak volumes of how popular the PF has become and the commitment of our brothers and sisters to working with the PF government," said Sampa.

Labels: STEVEN KAMWENGO, UNIP

posted by MrK @ 2:56 PM