16/09/2020
SENSING a revolt by the region they abused as their bedroom, the Patriotic Front rigging scheme has moved into high gear by deploying more than 50 government vehicles that are distributing mealie meal in Mwansabombwe.
By press time (24:00 hours) villagers are out on the roads at night queuing for campaign frebbies.
It is difficult to tell where the ruling party draws its strength as almost everyone in Mwansabombwe agrees the PF has failed.
Last week, Mwansabombwe received about ten 20 tonne trucks carrying mealie meal.
The ten wards of Mwansabombwe have each been allocated more than 10 vehicles that have gone on an operation to buy off the vote.
While the Lukashya Parliamentary by election has received more attention from the media, the ruling party has silently endured rejection in Mwansabombwe but the party is using the hunger situation to woe voters on its side.
There has been a notable resistance to the ruling party by the local people who feel they are only remembered at elections time while there is nothing the party has done from 2011 when the PF was first voted into office.
President Edgar Lungu left Mwansabombwe yesterday (Tuesday) where he abandoned his programme and adopted opposition United Party for National Development leader Hakainde Hichilema’s itinerary in Mwansabombwe.
Lungu followed his nemesis’ footsteps in the constituency by having his meeting at Kabumbu, two days after had addressed his campaign meeting from.
On his second day in Mwansabombwe, Lungu again emulated Hichilema by paying a courtesy call on chief Munkanta in Kawambwa before he again copied from Hichilema by visiting the Kate member of Parliament Rodgers Mwewa.
Lungu then addressed villager headman whom he paid each K150 while civil servant all received K1000 each one of them.
(C) UPND MEDIA TEAM