PROJECTION | Kasama Mayoral By-ElectionWith results from 174 of the 218 polling stations verified, and remaining tallies compiled from party agents and on-the-ground monitors, we can now project with confidence that the United Party for National Development (UPND) is on course to win the Kasama mayoral by-election, ushering in a new political chapter in the Northern capital; pending official confirmation by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ). The projected outcome, based on verified constituency-level returns and parallel tallies, places UPND candidate Bywell Simposya in the lead, ahead of FDD’s Peter Yuda Chikweti, who was backed by the Patriotic Front and the Tonse Alliance factions. The decisive factor has been UPND’s strong performance in Lukashya Constituency, where rural and peri-urban polling stations delivered large margins that have outweighed the tighter contest in Kasama Central.
If confirmed by the ECZ, the result would represent a historic breakthrough for UPND, marking the first time the reds capture the mayoral seat in Kasama, a region that has anchored PF dominance since the Michael Sata era. PF officials have raised allegations of irregularities in isolated areas, including Ngoli, though no formal ECZ position has been issued on those claims as counting continues. For now, the numbers point in one direction.Barring a dramatic reversal from the remaining polling stations, Kasama is set to elect a UPND mayor, signaling a shifting political map in the Northern Circuit as Zambia edges deeper into an election reminder year.© The People’s Brief
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