Eleven candidates have so far applied for adoption on the Patriotic Front ticket for the Roan parliamentary by-election.

Last week, PF Secretary General Davies Mwila invited applications for the Roan parliamentary seat following Dr Patrick Matibini’s declaration of Chishimba Kambwili’s seat as vacant.

“Applications for adoption as parliamentary candidates for Roan constituency: Applications are hereby invited from bonafide registered members of the Patriotic Front wishing to contest the Roan constituency by-election whose polling date shall be announced by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ). Applications should be submitted to the respective Constituency Committee with copies to the district and provincial committees and the secretary general. Applications should be accompanied by application fees that should be paid to the party organs as stated below: (i) Constituency Committee K500; (ii) District Committee K500; (iii) Provincial Committee K500; and Secretariat K500,” stated Mwila in the advert placed on one of the daily newspapers.

Mwila had further advised the provincial committee to conduct interviews of the applicants by Tuesday and report to the Secretariat by Wednesday (today).

“All applicants for Roan constituency should reach the constituency and district committee by Saturday 2nd March, 2019. The Constituency Committee shall meet to interview the candidates on Sunday 3rd March 2019 in Luanshya. The Luanshya District committee shall interview the candidates on Monday 4th March 2019 and the Copperbelt Provincial committees shall conduct interviews on Tuesday 5th March 2019 in Ndola District. The Provincial Committee report should reach the Secretariat on Wednesday 6th March 2019,” stated Mwila.

And according information obtained from the PF provincial structures, 11 people, among them 10 men and one woman, had so far applied for adoption as of Monday.

Those that applied include: Chenjelani Maunda, a miner at CLM Baluba, who is also PF Lumumba ward chairman in Roan constituency; Mwape Musonda; and Mumba Desire Mulewa, a councillor of Roan.

Others are Potrice Chanda, a PF resident of Mpatamato in Luanshya; Patrick Maipambe; Lengwe Cornelius Bwalya; Happyson Kaunda, a former mayor of Luanshya; Rev Jevan Kamanga of Luanshya; Justus Charles Bwalya, a serving councillor in Roan constituency; Mathias Katongo Bwalya, and the only female in the race, Eleni Eusebia Grigoraki a PF youth treasurer in Luanshya.