Mpongwe voting progressing well

Voting in the Mpongwe by elections is underway with an average voter turnout at most polling stations.

Polling stations were opened at exactly 06:00 hours and a check by ZANIS at various polling stations revealed that voters started queuing up to cast their votes at polling stations as early as 05:30 hours.

The first voter at the Farmer Training College polling station cast his ballot at exactly 06:01 hours.

The atmosphere remains calm and voters are freely voting in the by elections whose results are expected to be announce in the early morning of Friday.

And the Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) has expressed happiness with the peaceful manner in which the Mpongwe by elections are being conducted.

FODEP Copperbelt Province Secretary James Phiri hoped the peace that has so far characterized the Mpongw by elections will continue even after the winner of the polls is announced tomorrow.

Mr Phiri told ZANIS in an interview in Mpongwe today that it was also gratifying to note that the electorates in Mpongwe were eager to vote for their preferred candidate.

He hoped the voter turnout which he said was impressive continue as the day progresses so that all the eligible voters can participate in democratically electing their representative.

The Mpongwe parliamentary by elections is been contested by Gabriel Namulambe of the ruling Patriotic Front, Rapson Chilufya of the United Party of National Development (UPND), Miniver Mutesa of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), Reagan Ndhlovu of the National Restoration Party (NAREP) and  Kenny Kuveya of the United Independence Party (UNIP).