By RABECCA CHIPANTA –
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) deputy chairperson for elections Kelvin Bwalya has expressed shock at United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema’s comparison of the PF and UPND running mates.
In a statement, Mr Bwalya expressed shock at Mr Hichilema’s claims made during a Press briefing on Tuesday that Vice-President Inonge Wina could not match his running mate Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba, who is known as GBM.
According to Mr Bwalya, the UPND leader was quoted as having questioned if the people could compare the two running mates.
Mr Bwalya said the PF could not compare the two for what he termed documented reasons and cited some issues of violence in which the UPND running mate had been involved in.
He said Mr Hichilema had shown that he lacked what it took to be a national leader when he attacked President Edgar Lungu over his choice of running mate.
“Of course, there are other incidents of violence that cannot be referred to because they are still in courts of law, such as threats of violence on President Lungu by Mr Hichilema’s running mate who threatened to go for the President’s throat, in derogatory reference,” he said.
Mr Bwalya further cited an incident in which Mr Mwamba had been accused of beating up a marketeer and issuing threats on Local Government Minister Stephen Kampyongo.
He said Mr Mwamba’s violent conduct was well documented in The Post when he beat up his wife, sister-in-law and workers while Ms Wina was a mother who embraced everyone.
He further accused Mr Hichilema of embracing violence through his choice of a running mate while President Lungu embraced love and unity through his choice of Ms Wina.
He added that it was sad to see a person aspiring to be a leader embracing violence.
“GBM is a documented symbol of violence. It is a fact. We are, however, happy to remind Mr Hichilema of these sad documented violent facts of his running mate any time he dares us,” he said.