Prediction: Charlotte Scott Set To Hand UPND Lusaka Central Seat
Lusaka Central seat remains one of those where electorates rarely vote with their emotions with candidates scrupulously screened before the vote. Little wonder among the past Members of Parliament are brethren of a different colour shade (no offense intended) in Dipak Patel and a certain Guy Lyndon Scott. So when it comes to Lusaka Central, it is more a routine effort for the candidates to win the votes. This year’s contest provides an even more curious case with two notable ladies going head to head. Charlotte Scott, wife of the outgoing MP, stands at an advantage to hand the opposition UPND the seat but she faces a formidable challenge from Margaret Mwanakatwe.
Margaret Mwanakatwe (PF)
She took the circuitous route to parliament through a nomination but now feels ready to cut her political teeth in the battlefield through an election. The one thing to cushion her inexperience maybe the PF’s hold on the Lusaka urban vote that has kept the seat in their hands from 2006 when Dipak Patel of the MMD then did not re-contest. Her candidature was not the most popular as some career politicians within the party had hoped they would be picked ahead of her. But so far her campaign seems to have given her a strong case for carrying the day. Having carved most of her banking career at the top level, maybe winning the blue chip vote in the largely elitist constituency will not be so hard for the former Barclays Bank chief executive.
Charlotte Scott (UPND)
Wife to immediate past Member of Parliament Guy Scott, maybe her relationship with the former Vice President is the greatest currency going into this election. Charlotte has had no history of politics before now but being Scott’s wife, her husband being a two termer MP will signal a warning that she is not going to be a pushover in this race.
She has also quickly got into the deep end of the pool, overseeing a very robust campaign with her images and foot soldiers pushing very hard. Her candidature also means that electorates are stuck with two formidable lady candidates with the difference looking to be down to finer details of the campaign strategy. How easy she will connect with the Bauleni Township voters, who perhaps represent the ordinary voter community in the constituency, will be down to her husband’s legacy.
Kasonde Mwenda (Independent)
A very ambitious young man, perhaps representing something fresh, comes into the race for Lusaka Central with a lot of youthful zeal. Mwenda, a former Copperbelt University Students Union president has not looked every bit intimidated, but the task may prove a little too hard for the green horn. Mwenda may just be too happy to have at least launched himself into the political frame and may be one to look out for the future. There are no guesses for the financial burdens in running a campaign as huge as MP for Lusaka Central for an upstart when even for grounded political parties it is a herculean task.
Others:
Naturally Lusaka Central attracts a lot of other candidates who will be exercising their democratic right to participate but the contest is between the two ladies and Charlotte has the better chance of the two.
Completing the line up are Dorothy Mumba (FDD) and Kelvin Chilambwe (Rainbow).
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