PP concedes imposing candidate

The People’s Party (PP) has conceded that it lost the Mzimba Central by-elections because the candidate who represented the party was imposed on voters.

First deputy campaign director Ken Zikhale Ng’oma told Nation on Sunday during the week that although PP won a seat in the elections, the party has learnt the hard way because it was punished for imposing a candidate.

Independent candidate Mabvuto Joseph Kachali emerged winner in Mzimba Central while PP candidate Raymond Chatima Nkhata was victorious in Mzimba South West.

“I think we have learnt a lesson that forcing a candidate on the electorate is bad because had we respected the values of democracy for people to choose the candidate they like most, we would have also won the Mzimba Central seat,” said Ng’oma.

The party imposed Aram Mudala Beza instead of the voters’ favourite Kachali who opted to stand as an independent.

Beza got 8 162 votes against Kachali’s 9 843 votes in an election in which four other candidates contested.

Meanwhile, Kachali has said he will work with the PP government.