PF to conduct smart campaign to win Chilanga seat

By Francis Maingaila
Lusaka (09-05-18) – The ruling Patriotic Front (PF) has promised to wage a smart but peaceful campaign to wrestle out the Chilanga vacant parliamentary seat from  the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) that formerly held by the opposition.
Campaign Manager in the Chilanga by election Jean Kapata told Journalists during the PF Interactive Forum held at Chrisma Hotel in Lusaka that PF is a peaceful party and will prove that it is a peaceful party during the campaign for the Chilanga by election.
According to Kapata, the PF leadership has directed it’s structure in Chilanga not to fight back when provoked.
Instead of retaliating, Kapata advised the campaign team to use their smart phones to capture the aggressors and report the matter to the police with proof captured on phones.
“This is a smart way of exposing aggressors who want to cause confusion as an excuse for losing an election.”
He said as the party, the PF is taken aback by accusations made against it that it is about to cause violence to win the Chilanga seat.”
As far as we are concerned, Kapata explained this is far from being the truth.
She said that the reality on the ground is that, the campaign team in Chilanga is on the receiving end especially from the main rivals, the UPND.
She assured the people of Chilanga that the PF will not stoop so low to the level of fighting the UPND because they want to use it as an excuse when they lose the Chilanga seat.
“We will not give the UPND the pleasure of accusing the PF of using violence to win the Chilanga seat.”
Meanwhile Kapata has ruled out the possibility of the Electoral Commission of Zambia  (ECZ) to disqualify Maria Langa from contesting the Chilanga by election to fill the vacant seat left after the area MP was not only convicted but also sentenced to death.
Kapata said the people calling for the disqualifications of Langa are exhibiting sign of being defeated.
She said the action by some party members cannot be blamed on Langa unless it can be proved that she too took part the act.
In  any case, Kapata explained, there is no indication that  the PF supporters behaved in manner that would merit the disqualification of a candidate.
“Even if they did, it would be unfair for the Commission to disqualify the candidate because she was not part of the unruly activities alleged to have happened on the nomination day.”
She said the party was consoled that the commission has already validated the nomination of Langa and asked the party to prepare for victory after defeating the opposition in Chilanga.