Eriboma team withdraws from East PF Inter party elections
By staff Reporter
PATRIOTIC Front (PF ) members led by Elias Daka have withdrawn participation in the fourth coming PF provincial elections slated for tomorrow Tuesday June 11, 2019
In a statement made available to newsdayZambia.com this morning Daka said he would not take party in the fourth coming Eastern Province PF Intra-party provincial elections scheduled to take place this Tuesday in Chipata.
Daka said the decision has been arrived at after thorough and robust consultations with Eriboma team and PF members in Eastern Province.
“As you might be aware that the PF intra-party elections at constituency and district level were marred with numerous electoral irregularities, violence, electoral theft and intimidation to party structures particularly targeted at all fellow party members especially those who supported the candidature of Elias Daka for the position of Provincial chairman. PF Intra-party elections at constituency and district level all went unopposed because of the manipulation of the electoral process which included violence and intimidation to Party members,” he said
“ Members of the public are aware that my supporters were beaten in Kasenengwa district, while another supporter escaped death when he featured on Radio Maria in Chipata to discuss about our intra-party elections. With my supporters from all the 14 districts of Eastern province we decided to petition the intra-party elections with tangible evidence of electoral irregularities to the secretary General but our petition has not been heard. We were shocked to hear that the provincial elections were going ahead without hearing our petition of the intra-party elections which we delivered in Lusaka,” said Daka
“ On a very sad note my strong supporter in Katete district was few days ago brutally murdered in a mysterious way and was put to rest yesterday in Chieftains Kabaza area. Am not ready to lose lives of fellow party members because of intra-party elections. To traditional leaders in Eastern province and all well meaning members of the public that supported and believed in our agenda we apologize but we had to take this decision because we are not ready to sacrifice the lives of our people because of the intra-party elections,” said Daka “I therefore wish to advise all our supporters to remain home and avoid to attend any activity related to the provincial election conference as they have been targeted to be beaten and blocked from entering the elections arena. We shall remain strong and loyal members of the party and wish our colleagues well as they proceed to conduct unopposed provincial conference in Eastern province on Tuesday. The intra-party elections were meant to unity us and make us a more formidable and strong party but it’s painful that a life of young man from Katete has been lost in the process”.
