THE CHIEF JUSTICE AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT MUST HOLD ZAMBIA TOGETHER- Chishala Chilufya
By Chishala Chilufya (Political and Social Analyst)
Before the 2021 General Elections, individuals and other organizations went to the Constitutional Court seeking interpretation of article 106 (b) of the Zambian Constitution, that is if then President, Edgar Chagwa Lungu was eligible to contest the 2021 General Elections as President on the Patriotic Front ticket.
The outcome was that President Edgar Lungu was eligible to contest the 2021 General Elections.
The same case again went back to the same Constitutional Court for interpretation not more than three times and the Constitutional Court told the 20 million Zambians that Edgar Lungu was eligible to contest the 2021 General Elections and future elections.
The question many Zambians and the international community are asking is, what new evidence are those seeking for the interpretation of article 109 (b) have, which they didn’t have in the previous judgements.
My humble appeal and timely advice to the honorable Chief Justice Mumba Malila and the Constitutional Court judges is that they should hold the country together. This is important because the judicial system is the pillar that holds the country together and once people lose confidence in the judicial system it will be impossible to hold the country together.
To develop a country the Judiciary must be firm and independent. It must be seen to be independent.
Zambians are known to be peace loving, with intermarriages between different tribes and regions.
Today, there’s a very sad development in the country, work places and the community at large. For the first time in Zambia belonging to a different tribe or region has become an issue, something we never experienced since independence.
It does not matter which region or tribe you come from, the duty of every public servant is to uphold the supreme law of the land, the Constitution.
Zambia is bigger than all of us, it is not about President Edgar Lungu or President Hakainde Hichilema ,all these two Presidents got their mandate to govern from the Zambian people through elections as it is demanded by the Constitution.
President Hakainde Hichilema, Chief justice Mumba Malila and the Constitutional Court have a duty to Defend and Protect the Constitution.
Our Leaders should learn from the American vice President Kamala Harris in her acceptance speech of the American elections results, this is what she said.
“ANYONE WHO SEEK PUBLIC TRUST MUST HONOR IT, AT THE SAME TIME, IN OUR NATION, WE OWE LOYALTY NOT TO A PRESIDENT OR A PARTY, BUT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND LOYALTY TO OUR CONSCIENCE AND TO OUR GOD. MY ALLEGIANCE TO ALL THREE IS WHY I AM HERE TO SAY, WHILE I CONCEDE THESE ELECTIONS”
Every Zambian seeking to serve in public office must be loyal to the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia , not to one individual ,a political party, President, tribe or a region.
THIS IS THE THIRD TIME I AM REQUESTING the Chief Justice and the Constitutional Court to hold Zambia together.
It was a big mistake for the Constitutional Court to re-open this case, if it was influenced by an individual, please collectively do the right thing we are embarrassing ourselves as a country.
Allow former President Edgar Lungu to face the Zambian people 2026, the people will decide the way they did in 2021.
Please allow the law and the Constitution to work.
Those high profile people we see in the international media and social media facing international court ( ICC) some of them are former Presidents, Cabinet Ministers Judges, Priests and senior chiefs.
Our judges must do the right thing and live with a free conscience than regret in the future, they are protected by the law.