GOVT SAYS CONCOURT RULING ON LUSAMBO AND MALANJI ELIGIBILITY DOES NOT MEAN ECZ WAS WRONG
By Chileshe Mwango
Justice Minister Mulambo Haimbe has charged that it is wrong to conclude that yesterday’s Constitutional Court judgment in the Bowman Lusambo and Joseph Malanji’s eligibility matter meant the two are now duly nominated.
Addressing the media in Lusaka today, Mr. Haimbe argues that the court never made any pronouncement declaring the Electoral Commission of Zambia-ECZ- press statement of 24th august, 2022 illegal or wrongful.
Mr. Haimbe further says the court never made any pronouncement as to the eligibility of the two to contest the 15th September, 2022 by-elections or whether fresh nominations should be conducted.
The Justice Minister has since called for calm and restraint while the court determines the issue in contestation between the parties and electoral commission of Zambia, saying there has been a lot of misguiding information with regards to the matter which can cause anarchy.
Meanwhile the UPND on the Copperbelt has alleged that some candidates suspected to have been paid to withdraw from the forthcoming Kabushi and Kwacha constituencies by-elections will withdraw from the race on Tuesday next week which will result in fresh nominations.
UPND Copperbelt Province Youth Vice Chairman in-charge of politics Kangwa Kamando alleges that after yesterday’s constitutional court ruling which ruled that the two PF candidates whose seats were nullified and had their nominations rejected, are eligible to re-contest the by- election, the party went ahead to pay the two candidates expected to withdraw from August 15th by elections.
The constitutional court yesterday ruled that PF candidates for the Kabushi and Kwacha constituencies candidates Bowman Lusambo and Joseph Malanji are eligible to contest in the by elections despite ECZ’s rejection of their nomination papers.
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