UPND Undeterred By Criticism Of Chilanga Candidate, Charmain Musonda

The United Party for National Development (UPND) has said that party will not be distracted by a few individuals from within and outside the party that are against the adoption of Charmaine Musonda as the party’s candidate in the upcoming by elections for the Chilanga seat slated for June 5th 2018.

Confirming the development to ZNBC News in a telephone interview today, UPND Secretary General Stephen Katuka said Ms. Musonda beat other 10 candidates who expressed interest in the seat, adding that UPND top leadership has not imposed the candidate on the people of Chilanga but that they chose her for themselves. Mr Katuka said that Ms Musonda is a popular candidate and that the party will support her candidature.

Mr. Katuka further said that in a democratic dispensation, not everyone can be happy with any given decision hence people have the right to complain as long as it does not bring conflicts within the party.

The decision to adopt her has displeased a number of UPND members with some taking to Facebook to question the party leadership over the decision.

Some believe that the adoption of a person who just came back from prison and was known to be sleeping with Mr Mukata, a married man has effectively handed the seat to the PF.Some have even vowed to go ahead and vote for the PF as a protest over the adoption of Mrs Musonda.

Others believe that the adoption was a miscalculation on the part of the National Management Committee saying the party could have settled for other members who had shown interest in contesting the seat.