By Choolwe Beyani

The challenge of UPND in mufumbwe is that it is the preferred choice of the people there. Even the leadership of MMD is divided as some feel that the right party to win the seat is UPND not MMD.

UPND has been burnt by the past alliances and there is a strong view that it is time UPND grew and not to let MMD grow at UPND expense when it is practically dead.

UDA resurrected dead parties like FDD and UNIP and that is a lesson learnt. In Musanzala bye election seat that was held by independent, UPND was stronger than MMD but UPND gave way to MMD who lost.

MMD actually lost all local government bye-elections in Western and Northwestern to PF because UPND gave way to MMD argument that those seats were theirs. Should UPND then continue to sacrifice for a party that is stagnant all in the name of a loose unwritten alliance?

MMD is not the same party of three months ago. It is now split in two. There is the original MMD and there is now a pro PF faction which seems to be led by pastor mumba who has been secretly meeting with Sata at state house.

Nawakwi’s unprovoked outbursts agiasnt HH and Mumba’s own statements in the media declaring a candidate in Mufumbwe before the two parties even met has been part of the ploy to give way to PF in Mufumbwe. As recently as last week Wynter Kabimba was praisng MMD as good people. These are not acccidental statments but carefully worked out ploys.

The current PF candidate who was MMD MP has transferred all MMD structures to PF in Mufumbwe. Thus when the two parties decide to agree on which party should field Mufumbwe seat, there are two challenges: