DEMOCRATIC Party leader Harry Kalaba has expressed confidence that he will carry the day in Thursday’s election, saying his party is issue-based and can heal the divide in the nation.
And Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) leader Sean Tembo says the high voter turnout is a sign that there will be a change of government.
Speaking after he cast his vote at Push Community Hall in Linda Compound in Kanyama constituency, Thursday, Kalaba said he had presented his case to the people and it was now time for them to decide.
“We have presented our case to the national populace and we are waiting for them to adjudicate,” he said.
And when asked whether he was confident of scooping the elections, Kalaba responded in the affirmative.
“Supremely confident, I am confident that I am winning these elections. The DP is winning these elections because first of all we are issue-based, we have always spoken against violence, we have always preached against tribal talk,” said Kalaba.
“I think we have been divided enough as a country, it is time to heal the divide and I think the only party that is capable of doing that is the Democratic Party. So we are waiting for Zambia to make the right decision and I think I have got a lot of faith in the Zambian people in making the right decision for our country so they can be on the right track.”
And speaking after casting his vote, Tembo said he was also confident of scoring well even if he does not win the election given that he was a first-time contender.
“So I am confident that I am going to score very well in this election. I might not win the election but it’s the first time that I am standing and I am still a young man as you can clearly see. So I have a whole future ahead of me and I can only hope for better things to come in future elections if I don’t make it in this particular election,” he said.
Tembo said the high voter turnout was a sign of a change of government.
“So far in terms of the polling stations that I have observed, the turnout is very high, including this particular polling station. I am sure you can see the long queues around and I can smell some change in the air. I think whenever you have a high turnout it means that there is going to be change. I say so because I don’t think anyone would wake up at 04:00 hours just to keep the government in office. I think the only reason someone would wake up so early in the morning is for them to bring about change,” he said.
Tembo said the country should be proud of holding efficient and peaceful elections.
“I think we are very happy so far in terms of how the process is going. It is very peaceful and it’s also efficient. We can see that the queues are moving and that is very progressive. As you might be aware, all the eyes of the world are on Zambia today. Everybody across the world wants to see how we are going to conduct our elections and so when we have a situation like this whereby the elections are very peaceful and they are going on smoothly, I think it is a source of pride to each and every Zambian. And I am sure each of my fellow citizens across the country is very proud of themselves that we have been able to handle this process and handle it properly. All we can do after we cast our votes is to retire to our homes and wait for the outcome and to accept that outcome regardless of whether it is against our wishes [or] it is not what we expected. We should accept that outcome so that we maintain peace and security as a nation,” said Tembo.
