By Chilufya Tayali

WHAT THE CONSTITUTION PRESCRIBES FOR SOMEONE TO CONTEST AS PRESIDENT – WE DON’T NEED REGISTRATION OF UKA

At 14:00hrs I will be live discussing my Presidential candidate Edgar Chagwa Lungu. ECL doesn’t need PF or UKA (as registered parties) to contest as President. He is QUALIFIED AND ELIGIBLE to contest the next election.

But before I come read what the Constitution prescribes for a Presidential candidate:

Article 100: Qualifications and disqualifications for nomination as a presidential candidate

1. A person qualifies to be nominated as a candidate for election as President if that person—

a. is a citizen by birth or descent;

b. has been ordinarily resident in Zambia;

c. is at least thirty-five years old;

d. is a registered voter;

e. has obtained, as a minimum academic qualification, a grade twelve certificate or its equivalent;

f. is fluent in the official language;

g. has paid that person’s taxes or has made arrangements, satisfactory to the appropriate tax authority, for the payment of the taxes;

h. declares that person’s assets and liabilities, as prescribed;

i. pays the prescribed election fee on, or before, the date fixed for the delivery of nomination papers; and

j. is supported by at least one hundred registered voters from each Province.

2. A person is disqualified from being nominated as a candidate for election as President if that person—

a. is a public officer;

b. has dual citizenship;

c. is holding or acting in a Constitutional office or other public office;

d. is a judge or judicial officer;

e. was removed from public office on grounds of gross misconduct in the immediate preceding five years;

f. has a mental or physical disability that would make the person incapable of performing the executive functions;

g. is an undischarged bankrupt;

h. is serving a sentence of imprisonment; or

i. has, in the immediate preceding five years, served a term of imprisonment of at least three years.