UPND denies pressuring Tonse candidate to quit Mandevu by-election as Tonse asks for the poll to be cancelled

The UPND has rejected claims by the Tonse Alliance that its candidate in the Mandevu parliamentary by-election was threatened into withdrawing, calling the allegation "malicious and unfounded." UPND Chairperson for Elections Likando Mufalali said no one pursued, intimidated or forced the candidate to step down, and that the party believes in peaceful elections and does not engage in criminal activity. He was responding to Tonse Alliance Secretary-General Muhabi Lungu, who said on Friday that the candidate had received threats and that a phone call from Lusaka Province Minister Obvious Mwaliteta contributed to his decision to leave the race. Mr Lungu also asked for the Mandevu by-election to be cancelled so the alliance could field another candidate. ## Background The Mandevu parliamentary by-election in Lusaka is set for Thursday 5 November. In the days before the vote, the FDD and Leadership Movement candidates also withdrew. Earlier in the campaign there were reports of violence, and the Electoral Commission of Zambia has been asked about ballot papers that did not arrive on time. ## Why it matters A constituency's MP controls its development money and speaks for it in Parliament. If a poll goes ahead with the main challenger gone, residents of Mandevu may have fewer real choices at the ballot, and a dispute over whether a withdrawal was free affects trust in the result. The alliance's request puts the question to the Electoral Commission. ## What happens next Polling is set for Thursday 5 November. The Electoral Commission has not been reported to have ruled on the request to cancel the poll. Source: News Diggers, 2 November 2026, 08:00 (Africa/Lusaka). Link: <https://diggers.news/local/2026/11/02/no-one-forced-tonse-candidate-to-withdraw-from-mandevu-race-upnd/>