UPND explains Kasama poll victory

UPND explains Kasama poll victory

By Thandizo Banda

THE ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) has attributed the ruling party’s Kasama mayoral by-election victory to its focus on rural development and addressing the needs of rural dwellers.

Media director Mark Simuuwe encouraged the opposition to feel free and publicly congratulate the UPND on the resounding victory.

Simuuwe told The Mast in an interview the party had continued to gain measurable traction in rural areas, which could be a significant factor in its growing popularity ahead of the August 13 general elections.

“Our policies and programmes such as the Social Cash Transfer, Free Education, Farmer Input Support Programme [FISP], Cash for Work Initiative and the Constituency Development Fund [CDF], have won the UPND immense support,” Simuuwe said.

He said the UPND’s popularity in rural areas and previously opposition strongholds could be attributed to several programmes and initiatives by government.

“These initiatives seem to be resonating well with rural voters, contributing to the UPND’s rising popularity,” Simuuwe said.

He noted the opposition had no convincing message to Kasama residents apart from condemning the late payment to farmers under the Food Reserve Agency (FRA), which government was already addressing at the time of the campaigns.

Simuuwe said voting patterns between the 2021 general elections and those recently held between UPND and the opposition even in instances where UPND lost had continued to narrow, advantaging the ruling party.

“For instance, in 2021 Patriotic Front [PF] polled 57,000 with UPND scoring a paltry 25,000 votes for the Kasama mayoral seat but look at how the voting pattern has changed now where the UPND candidate Bywell Symposya has won with a significant margin,” he said.

Simuuwe acknowledged UPND’s impressive performance by winning 79 out of the 86 recently held by-elections countrywide.

He said the UPND was not taking the wins for granted but would ensure it adopted only popular candidates for the forthcoming general elections.

“We plan to adopt only popular candidates that we are confident of their popularity to win the elections. But in any case, victory is certain for UPND,” he said.