PF IN MUCHINGA REJECTS LONE CANDIDATES

By SANFROSSA MANYINDA in MPIKA THE Patriotic Front (PF) leadership in Muchinga Province has disowned independent candidates using President Edgar Lungu’s portrait during their campaigns. Provincial information publicity secretary, Kizito Chilamo, said those that decided to join the race at any level as independents after not being adopted under the PF ticked were automatically out of the party. Mr Chilamo said those that were also working with the opposition in the background after not making it through the adoption process were considered defectors. He was speaking in an interview shortly after attending the presidential virtual campaign at Mpika Boys Secondary School yesterday. “I am warning them to stop using the President’s portrait as well as party materials. Those that will be found using any material to do with the party but is contesting as independents or working with the opposition will face disciplinary action,” he said. Mr Chilamo said independent candidates were not loyal to the party, stating that there was no way they could be using party materials and the President’s portrait. He added that those that were loyal remained in the party and had continued to support the candidates that were adopted by the party’s appointing authority. Mr Chilamo called on the party leadership in the province to work extra hard and campaign for the President as well as adopted candidates. He said it was important for the leaders to focus on registered voters and not people that were only after material things in the party. Meanwhile, PF Kanchibiya aspirant Sunday Chanda has assured the party leadership that he together with the provincial leadership would successfully market President Lungu and his running mate Professor Nkandu Luo to the electorate.