The Electoral Commission of Zambia ( ECZ) Chairperson Esau Chulu cannot deliver a free and fair election in 2021.
Republican Progressive Party(RPP) is of the view that Judge Chulu must recuse him self if credibility has to be restored at the Electoral Commission of Zambia.
The litany of grave errors he made during the counting of votes in the 2016 elections have generally created a perception that he was biased.
The counting of votes in a non existent constituency named Chitulika Constituency, the failure to announce on time results from the nearest district from the counting centre; the none availability of the G 12 in many polling stations.
Other errors include failure to secure the IT Room by allowing intruders to temper with it thus possibly tempering with the results and many more have made citizens to loose confidence in the Electoral Commission of Zambia.
The latest is the proposed hike of nomination fees thus making politics commercial and regularising of corruption in politics is another attempt to frustrate the opposition.
All these have generally created a perception that Esau Chulu is biased .
The bias rule does not require that the actual bias is proven but that where there is over whelming perception that some one acted in a biased manner then that person on moral ground must recuse himself or herself.
We don’t need to go to court to prove the bias and the inconsistencies in the handling of the 2016 elections.
They are enough to request Esau Chulu to recuse him self on moral grounds.
We therefore, as RPP wish to advise government to hire judges or experts from countries such as Malawi and Kenya to help Zambia manage the 2021 general elections.
Issued by
RPP vice President
Leslie Chikuse