Battle lines drawn: It is PF vs MMD / UPND

The battle lines are now drawn, It is Patriotic Front versus MMD in the volatile Mufumbwe by-election.

This is after a long process of negotiations on the adoption process by both the ruling PF and the two main opposition parties. It has not been an easy decision to make for the contesting parties.

The PF had two former Members of Parliament fighting for the seat thus Eliot Kamwendo and Stephen Masumba. Kamwendo held the seat after winning it in a bloody by-election in 2010 under the UPND ticket. He lost it in 2011 tripartite elections with less than 100 votes to Masumba who stood on MMD ticket.

Kamwendo was not satisfied with the results and he contested them in the High Court. But in a ‘suspicious’ move he withdrew his petition and defected from his party UPND to join PF that had just formed government in the 2011 polls. Insiders say he was influenced to withdraw the petition though this cannot be proved and the motive for this decision was not known to the public.

Masumba who had been appointed as Local Government Deputy Minister was booted out of his party – MMD for undermining the party in the constituency by campaigning for the PF that had given him a Ministerial position.

Last week the two candidates fought for adoption though Kamwendo won the primaries with a landslide the results were not accepted by Lusaka PF office. The two threatened that if not adopted will back an opposition candidate a move that caused panic among the top leadership.

The party president who is also the Head of State had to intervene according to PF insiders and promised a diplomatic mission job to any of them who will not be adopted.  None of them looked enticed with this promise but the party’s supreme body – Central Committee had to make a decision and the decision was Masumba.

Announcing the candidate Secretary General and Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba said the party has to reward those who sucrifise for it. We can only conclude that Masumba had to be adopted for the decision he made to accept a position in the PF government and show royalty to it at the expense of his party – MMD.

On whether he will deliver the seat to PF as he has promised and whether Kamwendo who seem to have more support on the ground will support him is something we have to wait and see.

The other side, there is this marriage of convenience between the former ruling party – MMD and UPND whose only out mate goal is to dislodge PF from power.  Each of these parties is struggling to build its popularity before the 2016 elections.

What is clear is that the two leaders of these parties would not allow or back each other in a presidential election. This is clear from the pain they have to go through just to agree on who should adopt a candidate in a constituency election.

They know from the bottom of their hearts that Nevers Mumba will not support Hakainde Hichilema to contest the 2016 or any next presidential election and the same applies to Hakainde. Each of them thinks they are the best and have to be Zambia’s next president.

So back to Mufumbwe UPND has to let go of this by-election with pain. UPND feel according to its members is better placed to contest and win Mufumbwe without difficulties. They feel people have lost confidence in MMD and to be specific they (UPND) believe it will never bounce back to power.

Supporters of UPND are actually disappointed with their leaders for this decision.

“UPND check yoself people are not happy 4 backing MMD. we don’t want you 2 lose popularity on a simple issue,” Humble Afrikan Amos posted on UPND Facebook Page.

” Its with a heavy heart and deep sorrow that i write to express my disgust on the foolish and absurd decision that has been made by my Party the UNITED PARTY FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPEMENT (UPND) not to participate in a forth-coming Mufumbwe By-election by opting to be baby-backed by MOVEMENT FOR MULTI PARTY DEMOCRACY (MMD) ,“ writes another UPND cadre Royd Monga and adds “Where has this appetite for PACTS come from all of a sudden in UPND ??? Is someone failing somewhere to make accurate political judgement ???? Who would think UPND would go as by-standers in a by-election the Party claim popularity to support a Party that just lost power, subsequently loosing massive support base both at senior MMD Leadership and grass root???

If Pacts and Alliances have become UPND’s business on the Party’s order paper, then I Royd, I do here by declare that, ” I AM NOT AVAILABLE TO BE PART OF A BUTCH OF POLITICALLY RETARDED PEOPLE swimming in infernality complex ever in search of electoral Alliances and Pacts”

Royd concludes, “UPND Mufumbwe members will have to decide whether to join NAREP, PF or go back to MMD because of lack seriousness by the UPND Leadership. R.I.P MAZOKA”

It is PF versus MMD / UPND! Have these participating political parties made good political calculations?  Only the results of the volatile Mufumbwe By-elections will tell next month.