By CHUSA SICHONE –

VOTING in Katuba Constituency gets underway today in the tightly contested race that has seen seven political candidates vying for the Parliamentary seat.
The Katuba seat fell vacant following the death of Dr Patrick Chikusu who Health deputy Minister.
The MMD is fielding Cecil Homes, while Jonas Shakafuswa is recontesting the seat he lost in 2011, under the United Party for National Development (UPND) ticket. The ruling Patriotic Front (PF) is fielding Moses Chilando.
The United National Independence Party (UNIP) hopes to regain representation in Parliament through Friday Malawo, the National Restoration Party (NAREP) is banking on Joseph Mushalika, National Revolution Party (NRP) has Shakespeare Mwakamui and the Alliance for a Better Zambia (ABZ) has fielded the only female candidate, Patricia Mwashingwele.
All the candidates are optimistic of winning the seat. Mr Holmes said he would scoop the seat judging by his intensive campaign programme ahead of today’s voting.
Mr Shakafuswa was also confident that he would reclaim his seat saying the campaign progressed in his favour following the high turn-out at his public rallies.
Mr Shakafuswa said if the attendance of the people during the UPND rallies would be the same during polling day, then he was “miles ahead of everyone”.
Ms Mwashingwele said if the overwhelming response she received during the campaigns would be extended to the ballot box, then she was sure of victory.
She was grateful to her party leader Father Frank Bwalya for been there for her throughout the campaign trail.
Mr Chilando was equally confident of victory saying the campaigns had been fine except for cases of violence in which five of his supporters were assaulted.
Mr Malawo said he was received well in all the wards and that despite it being a tightly-contested election, he was still raising his hopes high and thus the outcome would be in his favour.
Mr Mushalika said he was emerging victorious as NAREP had taken a different message in Katuba Constituency of pledging to sign a social contract with the people as well as establishing a ‘Katuba Parliament’ where developmental issues would be discussed.
Mr Mwakamui and his president Cosmo Mumba predicted victory in NRP’s favour. Security had also been intensified with 200 plain and uniformed police officers being deployed in the area to ensure peaceful voting took place.
And the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) public relations officer, Sylvia Bwalya said the Commission was prepared to host today’s polls.
“The Commission is very ready to conduct the election. In fact, all the ballot papers have gone and people who are supposed to be conducting the polls have been trained well, so we are very ready,” she said.
Katuba Constituency has a voting population of more than 28,000 registered voters.