By Daily Revelation Reporters
Former health minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya is facing an uphill battle to be re-adopted as parliamentary candidate in Mansa-Central following his dismissal from Cabinet by President Edgar Lungu.
And Infrastructure and Housing minister Vincent Mwale says he and the PF Eastern provincial chairperson Andrew Lubusha were hoping for Bill 10 to pass in the hope that Chipangali constituency, where he is member of parliament would be split into two constituencies, but they are now slagging it out for adoption in the same constituency.
Well placed sources in the PF have told Daily Revelation that Dr Chilufya seemed to have been pre-occupied with higher ambitions such that he was not even campaigning for re-adoption in Mansa-Central, and would now need to readjust following his dismissal as minister.
“We have information that he was pushing for a Dr Bwalya to stand. His absence on the campaign scene also opened the door for this girl Stella Tembo who is making a lot of noise here,” the sources said. “So that is the main challenge with ba Chilufya but also the other factor that may play against him is that when the President fires you you are no longer seen to be in good terms with the party, especially that word within the party is that he was fired because of the higher ambitions he has in the party and the huge resources at his disposal.”
And Mwale said he did not mind the fact that he was contesting for adoption against provincial chairperson Lubusha, saying he (Mwale) too was a member of the central committee, which was the supreme body of the party.
Mwale was responding to assertions that Lubusha could use his position as provincial chairperson to privilege himself against the other competitors in Chipangali constituency.
“I can’t cry foul that because he is provincial chairman he will use his position. I don’t think it will be a fair assertion because I am also a member of the central committee,” Mwale said. “I have spent the last five years going to my constituency. I tried my best to take development to the area, I should be judged based on that. I don’t want to care much about who is challenging me, what position they are holding.”
Mwale said the intention was that Chipangali would be separated into two constituencies if bill 10 passed, so that he could contest the western side of the constituency, with Lubusha contesting the other side, but that was not to happen after the bill failed to pass.
“If it was going to pass and the delimitation was going to happen as per the report from ECZ and the constituency was split into two, my intention was to be on the Western side. His (Lubusha) intention was to be on the Eastern side. It didn’t happen so the two of us have to battle it out for the same constituency, which is normal,” Mwale said, adding that the bill 10 intended to serve national interests.
The sources have said the other strong contender for the seat is Maxwell Nkhoma, but that Lubusha wanted to persuade him to stand as mayor in Chipata-Central to replace the current mayor who had strong MMD background.
“They want to put a true green in Chipata. The plan is if Nkhoma is to be persuaded to stand as mayor, he will have to speak with his supporters to support Lubusha in Chipangali, while Lubusha would use his influence in Chipata to get support towards Nkhoma,” the sources said. “It was also believed that David Phiri, the former deputy Tourism minister under Michael Sata is frequenting Lubusha seeking adoption in Mkaika in Katete. Peter Daka too is facing serious challenges from General Lungu in Msanzala.”