UPND Leader Hakainde Hichilema says the party is on course for 2016 going by the numbers in the just ended by-elections despite suffering defeat.
The ruling Patriotic Front has scooped the Malambo, Petauke Central and Mulobezi parliamentary seats in yesterday’s by-elections.
Mr Hichilema in a statement says his party is making serious inroads in places where it was virtually unknown a few years ago, adding that the party has sustained the trajectory since the January 2015 presidential elections.
He says the UPND has performed well in places considered not its strongholds, citing Malambo where the party has increased its votes from 704 votes in 2011 to 2,582 and in Petauke from a paltry 515 votes in 2011 to over 2,331 votes in 2015 barely four years later.
Mr Hichilema notes that this no mean achievement, and has thanked the people of Malambo and Petauke for the overwhelming support given to his party.
He has also thanked the people of Mulobezi for braving the intimidation and gave his party 3,311 votes, only to miss it by a paltry 24 votes.
Mr Hichilema points out that the MMD were winning by-elections six months before they lost the election in 2011,and that the by-election, other than being costly to the citizens do not mean much other than that they are a constitutional requirement.
And Mr Hichilema has warned that the escalating electoral violence will reach levels that will not be managed if not curtailed.
He says when people use live ammunition to deal with political opponents, and the Police, who do not have jurisdiction, say it is self-defense, they are telling people that it is acceptable to shoot at unarmed citizens.
Mr Hichilema has since called on President Edgar Lungu to address this situation immediately.
Posted by 
desh m
July 2, 2015 at 12:35 pm
From the fraying pan into the fire iwe u call me a fool wiso sulunyoko I’m working leka nginuke musulaobe N E Z
New Educated Zambia©
July 2, 2015 at 3:24 pm
foolish chap. get a life
kolopa2016
July 2, 2015 at 4:24 pm
tamulasumina
desh m
July 2, 2015 at 5:33 pm
Its u who does nt hv life mudala u open yo eyes tamwaba future mu upnd chimbwe that’s y washalila wake up i can’t vote 4 hh he talkd shit 1 time evn him knws the reason y
The spartacus
July 2, 2015 at 8:39 pm
Ba HH is liken to Arsenal coach wenger who always say we ar improving&becoming strong we hope to finish on top of th table, while Jose just come in and win th league..prove yourself worth by winning 2016 elections or have many sits to influence th parly..
one tim
July 2, 2015 at 9:01 pm
beautiful mom never mind that hildah malama shes so sarcastic u ar good woman. Where is jj he should help you cool down.
Chips
July 3, 2015 at 4:03 am
Bushe ninsala yami fonkola pamala nangu nibu chitongo fye pakulafumfumuna amasele yakula ifyo nabukashana. Shibweleleni ku lubemba ifimbusa fikaye mufunda mwempelwamanomwe. Echo naba kachema bene balelandilamwe. Amashina ubusuma nomba amashiwi mulefumya mwetuchinokolemwe ububi. I have writen in bemba so that if u are truly bemba women can get it. Tamwakwata nakumushi mwetwanakashi imwe babili. Ngamwalwupwa abalumebenu kuti bamulekafye leloline. Nani uwingatemwa ukupa umwanakashi abola mutunwa ngaimwe. Ba shichupiti imwe. Mwatusebanya mwasebanya nabanamayo bonse. Ba kachema tabatuchindike ngafi mwempelwa manoimwe. Kuchilisha uyo mubemba alesapota bakachema elyo benda batukafye aba bemba lyonsefye. Bonse babili nde mufwaya tukaye kumana kukusefya pangwena uno mwaka. Bakachema nangu tamwishile temulandu.