By-elections will be litmus test

By-elections will be litmus test By GIDEON NYENDWA THE outcome of the forthcoming by-elections will not only determine whether or not the people of Zambia will ever trust PF again but it will also show whether they have seen the bluff of the UPND through unfulfilled promises, says  veteran politician George Mpombo. Dr. Mpombo said the forthcoming round of by-elections will be a referendum on the political viability of the PF. He said the by-election would be like a litmus test that will weigh the strength of the former ruling whether they still have clout on the ground. “The results will tell whether they can ever be trusted again or not,” he said.  Dr. Mpombo said the by-elections would also reveal whether the people have seen the bluff of the UPND through the unfulfilled campaign promises. He said UPND promised a lot of things including free education from grade one up to university and reduction of fertiliser prices to K250 per 50kg bag and this is what people are going to judge them on. Dr. Mpombo said UPND had also pledged depolarisation of the civil service by appointing career civil servants as permanent secretaries which had not been fulfilled till now. He said already there are murmurs on the appointments of people in some of the key positions in government. Dr. Mpombo said the people will decide which party they will trust in the forthcoming by-election because by now they have had a feel of both sides’ way of leadership. The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has set October 21, 2021 as the date on which to hold the Kaumbwe Constituency Parliamentary by-lection in Petauke. And on the same date, the ECZ will also conduct council chairperson by-lections for Chisamba and Lusangazi respectively.