PF Holds Mwansabombwe With 66% Of Votes

The Patriotic Front (PF) has retained the parliamentary seat of Mwansabombwe with 66% of the vote, following Thursday’s by-election.

PF candidate Kabaso Kampampi beat out UPND contender Sunday C Maluba by 6,478 votes to 1,522.

The election was triggered following the death of PF MP Rodgers Mwewa, who Mr Maluba ran against in the 2016 election for the same seat. 

Experts say there has been little change in the political landscape of Mwansabombwe, with voter turnout still presenting a major challenge to this and other rural constituencies. 

It is still to early to call the Lukashya by-election, however the PF is also lead there with 13,431 votes to the UPND’s 2,684 as off Thursday night.

The two elections have been mired in controversy, not least owing to alleged violence on the part of PF supporters and officials. 

On Wednesday, suspected PF thugs attacked and damaged a UPND branded car in Kasama, Mwansabombwe constituency, in full view of the police.

UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema condemned the attack strongly, writing on Facebook “What is happening  in our country should trouble the conscience of very right thinking citizen”.