Lundazi MP Brenda Nyirenda Comments on Chawama By-Election

Recent by-election results suggest voters are increasingly willing to support parties endorsed by the Patriotic Front, regardless of their size or previous electoral history, according to Lundazi MP Brenda Nyirenda.

Her comments follow last week's Chawama by-election, where the UPND was defeated by an FDD candidate. The ruling party's Deputy Chairperson for Elections, Likando Mufalali, has said his party would reflect on the result.

In an interview on Tuesday, Ms Nyirenda pointed to recent by-election outcomes as evidence of shifting voter sentiment.

"We used NCP in Petauke and it won the election. They used FDD in Chawama, and people settled for this party as long as it was PF-backed," she said.

The MP noted that the FDD's Chawama victory was particularly significant, given the party had never won an election before and typically performed poorly in previous contests.

She recalled how voters in Petauke embraced the NCP despite its challenging ballot symbol - a chair - suggesting this demonstrated voters' openness to alternatives.

Ms Nyirenda argued the results presented an opportunity for opposition parties to work together more closely.

Looking ahead to the 2026 general elections, she suggested the dynamics would be different from by-elections, with all parties competing under more similar conditions and resources more evenly spread across constituencies.

"The general election is what will show the real picture," she said. "It will be one on one - just the aspiring candidates competing directly."