By CHIDA SAKALA and FLAVIOR CHISHALA –
THE Patriotic Front (PF) has said that it is not afraid to go to the general elections under the amended Constitution that stipulates that a presidential candidate should win the poll by 50 per cent plus one of the votes cast.

. Bwalya

PF spokesperson Frank Bwalya said the PF is comfortable with the new Law as it was  a popular party that had brought development to the nation.
Father Bwalya  said he was happy that President Edgar Lungu rose above  partisan interests and assented to the amended  Constitution Bill .
Father Bwalya said people who had failed to attack the Government based on developmental programmes, had resorted to attack the President based on Government’s decision to have the signing ceremony at Heroes National Stadium.
“Yesterday a child was born, Edgar Lungu, the midwife for Zambia, which has been carrying a child for a long time and so there was need to deliver in that manner. Yes, some costs had been incurred but there will be no more of that,” he said.
Father Bwalya said during a Press briefing that it was frustrating for Zambians that some opposition members who had championed for a new Constitution had made a  U- turn and were now condemning the enactment.
“Personally,  I am afraid that this will reflect badly on politics as  people will be tempted to believe that when politicians say something, they don’t really mean it, but mean the opposite,” he said.
He, however, thanked all Zambians across the country and well-meaning political parties that were commending the President for the bold step he took to give Zambians the Constitution they wanted.
Father Bwalya said PF was winning genuinely and not with the illegitimate help of the Zambia Security Intelligence Services as alleged by the United Party for National Development (UPND) in the Wednesday edition of the Post Newspaper.
Meanwhile, UPND vice- president for administration Geoffrey Mwamba has said that the PF signed its exit when it assented to the 50 per cent plus one vote clause.
Mr Mwamba said at a Press briefing yesterday that President Lungu must have read through carefully before assenting to the Bill because UPND had dismantled all the PF strong holds.
Mr Mwamba also said the party was happy with the 50 per cent plus one vote clause because it would accord them an opportunity to win the tripartite elections.
He said he was not going to go back to the PF and that he was going to contest the August elections despite not clarifying over his academic qualifications, saying he would be seen on the day of nomination.
Mr Mwamba was flanked by  expelled PF member, Innocent Kalimanshi, who was kicked out of the party because of alleged violence.