Voting in the Pambashe Parliamentary by-elections in Kawambwa District started on a low note with a sizable number of  voters trooping to polling stations to cast their votes.

Despite the rainless morning in the area this morning,  some polling stations have so far recorded a low turn-out. 

A check by ZANIS at Mushota 1 polling station, 160 voters had cast their votes out of 900 registered voters by 08:58 hours and at Mushota two polling station 143 had voted by 09:15 out of 890 registered voters.

And Senior Chief Mushota , who was among the first to cast the vote,  commended participating political parties for conducting peaceful campaigns.

“We need to emulate our forefathers who fought for independence peacefully because we wouldn’t be independent now if there was no peace,” Senior Chief Mushota said.

He however condemned some politicians who were allegedly involved in electoral malpractices such as grabbing voters’ cards from would-be voters describing behavior as stone age politics.

Pambashe constituency has 52 polling stations with 20,952 registered voters.

Voting which started at 06.00 hours in all polling stations is expected to close at 18.00 and results are expected to be announced after midnight.

Four candidates including Williams Mwenya from FDD, James Chabi from the Socialist Party, Honorato Kanunsha of the Democratic Union and Justin Kapema from the ruling UPND are contesting the seat.

The Pambashe Parliamentary by-election was necessitated by the conviction of PF member of Parliament, Ronald Chitotela who was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for arson by the Kabwe High Court.