• Mangango by-election Patriotic Front campaign manager, Obvious Mwaliteta greets Vice-President Guy Scott on arrival at Kaoma Airstrip yesterday. Right to left, is Mines Deputy Minister Richard Musukwa, Community Development, Mother and Child Health Minister Emerine Kabanshi and Gender Minister Inonge Wina. Picture by SYLVESTER MWALE

By SYLVESTER MWALE IN KAOMA –

BALLOT papers for the Mangango by-election have arrived in Kaoma and are being distributed to polling centres ahead of the polls on Tuesday next week.
The voting materials were unveiled at Kaoma Civic Centre in the presence of representatives of all but one political parties taking part in the election.
Apart from the Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD), United Party for National Development (UPND), United National Independence Party (UNIP), Patriotic Front (PF) and the MMD were all represented as officials unbundled the boxes containing the voting material.
Mangango Constituency returning officer Kingsley Mutayachalo said the arrival of the ballot papers was another sign that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) was ready for the by-election.
There are 18,000 ballot papers in total to cater for the seven wards in the vast rural constituency, which has 17,157 registered voters.
“I am happy to announce the arrival of the ballot papers and I am glad that all stakeholders are here to witness this,” Mr Mutayachalo said.
Meanwhile, Vice-President Guy Scott says he has been informed by party officials in Mangango that the ruling party has an upper hand and will win the by-election.
Dr Scott is in Mangango to drum up support for PF candidate, Lyambai Lingweshi, who is facing five opponents in the Mangango by-election.
“I have spoken to our campaign manager, the national chairperson and party officials and I am certain we have the upper hand,” Dr Scott said.
“I am satisfied that our cadres have restrained themselves and I know that the point for UPND was to intimidate the voters so that they don’t go to vote,” he said.
Earlier, PF campaign manager, Obvious Mwaliteta said the party was busy delivering the message about development in a peaceful manner.
Mr Mwaliteta said the intention of the UPND was to force the cancellation of the by-election because of violence after realizing that the opposition party had nothing to tell the people of Mangango.
Apart from Mr Lingweshi, the by-election is being contested by MMD’s Charles Mwenzala, Mweene Naluwa from the ADD, Janet Chingumbe of UNIP and Godwin Putu of UPND as well as Mukumbuta Kabuyana from Fourth Revolution Party.