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Edgar Lungu

Takunda Maodza in LUSAKA, Zambia
AS ZAMBIANS cast their ballots in today’s Presidential by-election, front-runner in the polls and Patriotic Front candidate Mr Edgar Lungu has warned rivals to accept the results or else he will deal with them.

The country chooses a new leader following the death of President Michael Sata of the Patriotic Front in October last year.

Eleven candidates are vying for the office, but front-runners are Mr Lungu and Mr Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND).

Some presidential aspirants like Hichilema are threatening not to accept the results if they lose.

Addressing thousands of Patriotic Front supporters at the Woodlands Stadium in Lusaka yesterday in his last rally before the decisive polls, a confident Mr Lungu said if he wins the elections he would not entertain bad losers to disrespect the will of Zambians by causing violence and inviting negativity in Africa’s giant copper producer.

He fired a salvo at Mr Hichilema saying: “I will urge him to accept the results. If he loses and does not accept the results and does something funny, I will deal with him. I will not hesitate to use the law.”

“How can one say if I lose, I will protest? He has no following. First he says he will win.”

Mr Lungu said today’s elections would be free and fair, hence contestants should accept the outcome.

“We do not rig elections. We do not even know how it is done,” he said.

Mr Lungu urged Zambians to be peaceful and to resist efforts by some elements to cause disharmony in the country.

“In the end you are the ones who suffer as Zambians. When they provoke you, ignore them,” he said.

Mr Lungu said Zambia belonged to all political parties regardless of one’s political affiliation, religion or tribe.

He pledged to pursue Mr Sata’s vision and dismissed suggestions that there were divisions within the Patriotic Front when the former President died.

“When all those people wanted to stand, that was democracy. Finally they settled on me. The good plans from Mr Sata are the ones I am going to follow and implement. We will follow Mr Sata’s vision. Yes, I am small but I am big inside.

“There are some people who are big outside but inside they are nothing. Our job as leaders is to provide a conducive environment so that we can all prosper,” said Mr Lungu. He called on all Zambians to work together to develop the country.

Former Zambian President Mr Rupiah Banda of the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) and some officials from his party attended the rally.

Mr Banda endorsed Mr Lungu’s candidature saying no-one else should take over from Mr Sata.

“Lungu is a crowd-puller. Look how many we are here. We are all here to make sure that no-one unseats him tomorrow.

“We support him. He is one of us. He loves people and he is humble.

“I have come here to inform you that according to me, the best suitable candidate for the presidency for all Zambians is Edgar Lungu,” Mr Banda said.

Mr Hichilema also held a rally in Lusaka’s high-density suburb of Mandebvu, which coincided with Mr Lungu’s.

When The Herald sought to interview him at his Kabulonga home yesterday morning his handlers would not grant the request saying he was busy.