PETER CHANDA QUITS PRESIDENTIAL RACE

By SIMON MUNTEMBA NEW Congress Party (NCP) president, Peter Chanda has withdrawn his candidature for the August 12 presidential race and pledged to support President Edgar Lungu. This is two days after paying the K95, 000 Presidential nomination fees to the Electoral Commission of Zambia. Mr Chanda said he decided to withdraw because he could not garner enough votes without holding public rallies as discouraged by the ECZ. He added that the party also had a wrong logo despite engaging the ECZ to rectify it six months ago. He said the logo which was designed by his predecessor Cosmas Mwale was not corresponding with his message and vision. “I want to state that we have resolved not to participate as a party at Presidential level. We are only participating at parliamentary and local government levels. “As a party that is participating in these elections for the first time, it will not be possible to win without public rallies to meet the people,” Mr Chanda said. He said the party was in an alliance with the ruling Patriotic Front, and would support the candidature of President Lungu.