TONSE ALLIANCE REJECT KAWAMBWA RESULTS
..Tabulate The Illegularities, Presidents To Meet
This is contained in a statement below availed to Zambian Eye.
TONSE ALLIANCE STATEMENT ON THE RESULTS OF THE KAWAMBWA PARLIAMENTARY BY-ELECTIONS
Kawambwa, 21st December 2024
1. The TONSE ALLIANCE has noted the results of the Kawambwa Parliamentary By-Election as announced by the Electoral Commission of Zambia, in which the Alliance Candidate, Mr. Danstan Mwansa, standing on the New Congress Party (NCP) ticket, is alleged to have scored 3,896 against the UPND Candidate who is alleged to have scored 5,519 votes and the SP Candidate who is alleged to have scored 1,501 votes.
2. The TONSE ALLIANCE would like to categorically state that we reject these results in their totality, on the basis of the following:
(i) the well documented violence perpetuated by the ruling UPND party across the entire Constituency, created an atmosphere in which a free and fair election could not possibly take place;
(ii) the biased manner in which the Zambia Police Service conducted themselves whereby they failed to arrest ruling UPND party cadres who committed various offenses, but where quick to arrest opposition officials like Hon. Jean Chisenga, Lawyer Celestine Mukandila and NCP President Peter Chanda, meant that the Police deliberately unlawfully tilted the election in favor of the ruling UPND party;
(iii) The chasing of Polling Agents and Election Monitors in Lyanga, Lushiba, Fisaka, Senga, Kala and Luena Wards of Kawambwa Constituency by UPND Cadres, in full view of the Police, meant that the TONSE ALLIANCE was deprived of the opportunity to confirm the veracity of the votes cast in these aforementioned Wards;
(iv) The refusal by Presiding Officers in all 59 Polling Stations, with the exception of Chitondo and Muyembe Primary Schools, to allow Voters who are illiterate, an opportunity to pick a person of their own choice to assist them in casting their votes, as well as the insistence of the Presiding Officers of Polling Stations that only them can guide the illiterate voters in secret and to the exclusion of Polling Agents and Election Monitors, meant that there was no way of determining that the Presiding Officers fulfilled the wishes of these illiterate voters and cast the ballot for the candidate desired by the illiterate voters. It is further worth mentioning that the levels of illiteracy in the most rural wards of Lyanga, Lushiba, Kala and Senga were as high as 60 percent among the voters that cast their votes yesterday. It should further be noted that the actions of these Presiding Officers to deny illiterate voters an opportunity to pick a person of their choice to help them cast their votes, is in contravention of paragraph 6.1 of the Electoral Process General Regulations and is unlawful.
3. In the premises above, the Council of Leaders of the TONSE ALLIANCE shall soon be convening a meeting to deliberate on the next steps to be taken in order to correct the illegality that took place in Kawambwa Central Constituency yesterday.
4. The TONSE ALLIANCE would like to take this opportunity to thank the many members of the Alliance who sacrificed their time, resources and personal security to campaign for the Alliance Candidate in this election. The TONSE ALLIANCE would also like to thank the good people of Kawambwa for giving us their vote, but we would like to apologize for our failure to adequately protect your vote. TILI TONSE 🤝
ISSUED BY:
Sean E. Tembo
PeP President & TONSE ALLIANCE Spokesperson
Kawambwa, Zambia
TONSE ALLIANCE REJECT KAWAMBWA RESULTS
