Nominations Conclude for Lumezi By-Election; UPND Picks Ngoma

Nominations for the forthcoming parliamentary by-election for the Lumezi constituency in Eastern Province concluded on Tuesday. The UPND has announced its candidate, Lufeyo Ngoma, whilst the Tonse alliance has, bizarrely, been significantly more coy.

The by-election was caused by the conviction and imprisonment of the previous independent member of parliament, Munir Zulu, for libel. He was found guilty of defaming several members of the government including Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane. He is currently serving a 12-month prison sentence.

The ruling UPND announced its candidate at a press conference in Lusaka. The party has opted for former Lumezi District Commissioner Lufeyo Ngoma. He emerged victorious from a competitive field of 14 candidates vying for the nomination, in what senior UPND figure Gary Nkombo described as a “complicated process” due to the sterling records of all candidates. He thanked all those that put their names forward.

“I am greatly humbled today”, Mr Ngoma said in response to his nomination. “I am not the best, but I have been preferred as the candidate for the by-election in Lumezi. It’s not about me; it’s about the party and the President. Our call is to make sure that we deliver the seat for the UPND”.

In a warming display of humility, Anderson Banda, one of the defeated candidates, congratulated Mr Ngoma and stressed the UPND’s commitment to ensuring a free, fair, and peaceful campaign and election.

The contrast with the Tonse Alliance was stark. Ralph Nakacinda, the TA’s Secretary General, announced on Sunday that their candidate’s identity would not be disclosed until the “appropriate time”, offering no indication as to when this might be. The rationale for this bizarrely secretive move was “security concerns” provoked by a recent by-election in Kawambwa. Still, the move is distinctly lacking in transparency and it seems clear which party is more committed to running an open campaign with spirited debate.

Voters in Lumezi will go to the polls on 26th June.