ECZ TO ALLOW ZUSD TO FIELD ANOTHER CANDIDATE AFTER THE DEATH OF MUSUTU….PROVIDED THEY PAY FRESH NOMINATION FEE
ECZ corporate affairs manager Patricia Luhanga says the Commission is engaging the Zambians United for Sustainable Development party (ZUSD) on whether they will be fielding another candidate in Mandevu following Melody Musutu’s death.
In an interview, Luhanga said the party would be allowed to field another candidate as long as they pay the nomination fees.
“We are engaging the party and we will give an advisory concerning the same. We engaged the party this morning and they have since written to us. The person has died, you can’t deny a political party to field a replacement. The Commission will advise once the date for nominations is set. They have to pay nomination fees,” said Luhanga.
According to the Zambian Constitution, Article 52 (6) states that: Where a candidate dies, resigns or becomes disqualified in accordance with article 70, 100 or 153 or a court disqualifies a candidate for corruption or malpractice, after the close of nominations and before the election date, the Electoral Commission shall cancel the election and require the filing of fresh nominations by eligible candidates and elections shall be held within thirty days of the filing of the fresh nominations.
And in a separate interview, party president Lazarus Chisela’s running mate Rosemary Chivumba said the party had not yet decided on whether they would field another candidate in Mandevu.
“We are yet to hear from ECZ and also as a party we are yet to decide whether we can bring in another person. The Constitution is clear, but it is the question of the human being now, it is the question of availability of a human being. So, we have not decided yet as a party. We have informed ECZ but we have not heard from them. Based on the advice from ECZ we will decide. We have engaged them but they have not gotten back to us. So, it is premature for me to say the way forward,” she said.
Musutu died at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) after a short illness