…. But PF says UPND is a bunch of desperate, bruised losers
By Scoop Reporter
THE United Party for National Development (UPND) claims it has receiving numerous reports from its members and ordinary citizens that the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) is engaged in dubious and selective issuance of National Registration Cards (NRCs).
But Kasama District PF youth vice chairperson Aaron Zimba has accused the UPND of feeling the heat from the recent battering in the just-ended by-elections and that this is the reason it is out to claim the 2021 elections have been rigged, even before the ballot papers are printed.
UPND national deputy youth chairperson Gilbert Liswaniso claims the PF has been knocking on people’s doors during the night, asking for personal details of their children and dependents in order to give them NRCs.
“Our advice is to ensure you get the IDs before you give out your personal details, and then make sure you keep them yourselves. You are entitled to these national documents for other numerous purposes than just voting. However your number one priority for now on these NRC’s is to vote out PF next year.
“If PF thinks their selective issuance of NRCs in their former strongholds will advantage them, well, they aren’t seen nothing yet. There is hunger in every part of Zambia and when people are hungry, they are angry,” Mr. Liswaniso said.
But speaking to The Scoop in an interview, Mr. Zimba says it is worrying that confusion and panic in the UPND camp has reached its crescendo to a point where everyone is hallucinating about rigging, long before the first vote is cast.
“First of all, the PF is not responsible for issuance of NRCs. How can they go to people’s homes in the night to give NRCs to people when that is the role of the Ministry of Home Affairs? We know that losses in their own strongholds in the just-ended by-elections has unsettled them and this is why they are hallucinating.
“Tell Mr. Liswaniso that we sympathise with the UPND who are in a disarrayed condition but politics is a game of numbers. We know that losing in such a shameless manner in their strongholds has left them beaten and bruised but we don’t expect them to lose their sense of reason,” Mr. Zimba said.
He says the UPND’s enemy is themselves because they had failed to elect leaders who could stir them to victory but are content with the mediocrity of following their leaders blindly, yet they have no mandate from their members to lead them.
