MUNDUBILE – MAKEBI PETITION/TONSE-NRPUP

MUNDUBILE – MAKEBI PETITION/TONSE-NRPUP

Article 101(4) of the constitution states as follows;

A PERSON may within 7 days of the declaration made under clause 2(returning officer result announcement or declaration), petition the Constitutional Court to nullify the election of a presidential candidate who took part in the initial ballot……

Now the key word here is PERSON, the constitution does not say a political party president or a political alliance candidate NO, it’s a person, meaning even a mare citizen who did not participate in the election but was not satisfied with the results can petition.

In this case the two candidates Brian Mundubile and his running mate Makebi Zulu have intentions to petition the elections. The decision of NRPUP or Indeed Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance to support or not support this petition has got no bearing whatsoever on it’s validity.

That said, Mr Zumani Zimba must know that this is his individual decision and not that of Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu or indeed Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance.

Our appeal should be to President HH to soften his heart and look at this all ordeal as a democratic competition exercise that comes and pass every 5 years. The president was elected in 2021 on the promissory note of respecting the rule of law and citizens should be free to demand that from their leaders.

When people go to Court instead of taking the law in their own hands, it’s a sure way of a functional democracy and respect for the rule of law which must be supported by all well meaning Zambians.

I remember during the 2016 presidential petition, I was a youth leader in UPND, president HH as an agrieved presidential candidate, had the capacity to instruct his followers to go in the streets but he chose a democratic way, he went to court and in the end that put closure to a lot of issues.

May politics UNITE us and not DIVIDE us further.

God bless Zambia

Sampa Mwaume – The Chinsalian
21/08/26