My remarks on the Process of Electing the PF party President have been Twisted and Misunderstood ~ Mourinho
Monday 31st October, 2022
I have learnt with dismay that my remarks on today’s Lusaka Star program on UNZA RADIO concerning the PROCESS of electing the Patriotic Front President have been twisted, misconstrued and misunderstood by some, either out of malice or out of a sheer lack of understanding of the Patriotic Front Constitution.
Some folks have gone to town alleging that I said that some named candidates are ineligible to contest the forth-coming presidential party elections.
For the sake of putting the record straight let me repeat myself;
1. Application is NOT nomination. Those that have applied to contest the elections will have to formally be nominated at the General Conference in line with the Party Constitution.
2. Article 52 of the PF Constitution clearly stipulates the PROCESS of electing a party President and it states as follows:
a) The President of the Party shall be elected at the General Conference of the Party.
b) The Secretary General of the Party shall submit the name or names of the candidates to Central Committee for consideration and where there is more than one candidate the Central Committee may indicate support for one of the candidates.
c) The Central Committee shall submit the name of the candidate or candidates to the National
Council for APPROVAL or DISAPPROVAL.
d) The person whose candidature for the office is not approved by the National Council shall not be
Eligible for election at the General Conference for the office of the President of the Party.
e) A candidate whose candidature for the office of the President of the Party is approved by
National Council shall lodge his NOMINATIONS papers with the Returning Officer appointed by the Electoral Commission supported by twenty (20) delegates from each of the Provinces of Zambia attending the General Conference.
f) If more than one candidate stand for the office of the President of the Party, each delegate to the
General Conference shall vote for one candidate only and the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes shall be the sole candidate for election to the office of the President of the Republic.
g) Where only one candidate has filed nomination papers at the close of nomination, such a Candidate shall be declared duly elected President of the Party without conducting a poll.
This is what the Constitution states and this is exactly what I was explaining during my interview.
As explained in clause (c) above the powers and authority to decide who is ELIGIBLE and who is NOT eligible is purely the mandate of the National Council and the National Council alone.
I wish to encourage each one of us to familiarise ourselves with the Party Constitution to avoid being swayed by purveyors of falsehoods and lies.
PF is strong and it should not allow anyone to divide it. Let’s remain focused and continue to forge unity of purpose for the sake of the party and our country. People are suffering and are looking up to PF to unite and liberate them.
Issued by;
Antonio Mwanza
Media Director
Patriotic Front