PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has assured those who were not employed in his first term that they are next in line if they vote for him in the August polls.

President Hichilema has advised those who live far from their polling stations to move and spend a night closer to the voting booths on August 12 in readiness for voting the next day, adding that they will be provided with food.

Meanwhile, President Hichilema says the ruling party is aiming to win this month’s polls with five million votes.

Campaigns have intensified as polling day nears and the Head of State returned to Western Province, holding rallies in Shangombo, Nalolo, Limulunga and Senanga districts on Saturday.

Speaking when he addressed Nalolo residents, President Hichilema urged citizens to vote for “more” employment and “all the benefits” that the UPND government had done in its first term.

“We are voting for UPND for more employment, more jobs. We’ve employed a lot of teachers, 45,000. We’ve employed nurses, we’ve employed soldiers and many others including in the mines. We are voting for more jobs. If you are a teacher, a nurse and you have not been employed, don’t complain, because you are the next one to be employed. You are voting for more schools, you are voting for more health centres, for maternity wings, for desks in schools, you are voting for Social Cash Transfer, your are voting for Cash for Work and all the benefits that you’ve seen in the last four years and 11 months,” he said.

Meanwhile, President Hichilema told Shangombo residents to give all the votes to President Hichilema and his candidates.

“I am appointing all of you as my campaign managers. Campaign in the house, campaign in the markets, in the fields, even on the water. Because this year, we need to win with five million votes. So, Shangombo how many votes will you giving me? A lot right? Are you going to campaign? Are you going to turn out to vote in numbers? As [Dr Situmbeko] Musokotwane says, ‘don’t go to vote alone, carry five or more people to the polling station,’” said President Hichilema.

“Mubika [Mubika] and the other MP and council chairperson, listen, on the 12th of August, we want to move more people who live far away from the polling station, to move closer to the polling station and we’ll feed you there. We’ll give you everything so that you sleep near the polling station, the following day you go and vote and vote for UPND. And this year we are voting for a suit, councillor, UPND, council chairperson, UPND, MP, UPND and President Hakainde, Bally, UPND. Are you going to vote a suit this year? Don’t waste your vote on independent candidates or opposition, don’t waste your vote, all the votes must go the UPND”.