PF says over 2000 opposition members have joined them in Solwezi

Davies Mwila

The ruling Patriotic Front PF claims it has once again received over 2000 defactors from opposition political parties including members from their ‘alliance partners’ the MMD, UPND and FDD among others.

In statement issued from Solwezi where the purported defections took place Antonio Mwanza who circulated the statement writes that his party Secretary General Davis Mwila met party officials before receiving defectors.

Mwanza, who himself recently defected from the opposition FDD were he was the party’s Spokesperson, explained that his SG told officials that contrary to speculations from stakeholders that the ruling party kicked off campaigns the truth of the matter was that the party was just doing routine mobilisation and that instead complain about the PF programs the opposition should also start doing their own mobilisation.

“The party is doing fine. I have always said that politics is about numbers; we want to grow the party by bringing new members. I also want to say that PF remains a very attractive party and a very popular party. You are able to see people coming in the party every day and every week. I should announce that next week, we will be in Southern province where we will be receiving some more defectors from the opposition,” said Mwila on arrival in Solwezi today.

“Those claiming that we are campaigning should know that we are NOT campaigning at all. We are just mobilising the party. We are going round and you have never heard of us holding public meetings from my office, we have been holding indoor meetings. It means that we are there to mobilise the party; that is my Job, i am paid for that. So all those who want to mobilise their party and i am talking about the UPND and the rest, let them go also and mobilise their parties. They are free. This is a democratic country. Us we are not playing as a party, we are very serious.”

The statement on campaigns by the ruling party has been a hot issue in the country as stakeholders have questioned the motive of the ruling party who have held campaign rallies in at least three provinces.

During one of the rallies in the Copperbelt Province recently the Repiblican President told the masses that had gone to listen to him that the opposition should stop complaining about the PF campaigns but that they should start their own.

On the defections, the PF has seemingly become the most attractive party in the country as defections of members of the opposition has become an almost daily activity in the ruling party.

Recentry Mwanza reported that over 3000 members of the opposition from Eastern province joined the ruling party.

Of note is the number of defectors from FDD who seems to have more members defecting to both the UPND and the ruling party which would make a strong case of FDD President Edith Nawakwi’s argument that her total votes in the last elections did not reflect the popularity of her party.