By-Elections: Nothing much has changed in voting pattern
By Edmond Lifwekelo
The traditional voting pattern is still the same since 2001, ruling parties will always be popular in rural areas while urban areas are dominated by the opposition.
This arrangement is not only peculiar to Zambia but almost the whole continent of Africa. This is so because ruling Governments always find it easy to manipulate rural voters with gifts and threats.
We said it before the elections that the PF is distributing phones and food stuffs in Zambezi West and you said we were politicking. On the contrary, it is very difficult to manipulate urban voters. You will give them gifts, they will get and they will don’t kubeba you, surely PF and MMD will understand better what am saying.
This is also so because the needs in rural areas differ from those in rural areas. You can’t buy an urban voter with a ZTE MTN cell phone and a bag of fertilizer. Urban dwellers needs jobs and cheaper fuel and cheaper prices of foodstuffs- that’s why there is a lot of discontent in urban areas. Urban voters will cry foul with things like the bill of rights and the new constitution. To me urban areas are now for the opposition because of the PF’s lies and inadequacies.
Of the five constituencies which had by-elections yesterday, only one (Solwezi central) was an urban constituency, the rest were rural constituencies.
Congratulations to PF to scooping three out of five by-elections but that should not make you over confidence. Your real test will be the urban areas which made you win into Government.
PF might claim that they have never lost a seat since September 2011 because no by-election has taken place in areas they were popular, the urban. Katuba showed us that your popularity in Lusaka has gone, this is so because Katuba is very close to Lusaka, about 6 miles from Lusaka town centre. Katuba also borders matero constituency. So to me my real test is to test the PF in their traditional strongholds- the urban areas. As UPND, the urban areas are our playing ground.
Definitely we are hurt as UPND to have lost Zambezi West, though there is a consolation of Solwezi central. In reality UPND has not lost anything. The numbers are still the same. The real losers are MMD and the ones who have gained are the PF.
As UPND we will soldier on, we shall preach our message and solidify our presnce in urban areas where there is a lot of discontent. So don’t celebrate yet, after all there are more voters in urban areas than rural areas. Kanyama constituency alone can beat the past 5 constituencies which were contested yesterday in terms of numbers of registered voters.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not reflect views of the Publication or its Proprietors or Editors but the Author.
The author is a UPND Kabwata Constituency Publicity Secretary
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