Sat, 23 Sep 2017 10:00:53 +0000
By Chintu Malambo
THE Constitutional Court will on October 30 hear the petition in which four opposition political party leaders have petitioned it to interpret article 106 concerning the eligibility of President Edgar Lungu to contest the 2021 elections.
This is in a matter in which four leaders of political parties that supported President Edgar Lungu’s candidature in the August 11 2016 elections have petitioned the Constitutional Court, seeking its interpretation of the law on his eligibility to stand in 2021.
And UPND secretary-general, the second interested party in the matter had asked the court to join President Edgar Lungu and ruling party secretary-general Davis Mwila to proceedings but the court however turned down the application to add the Head of State but joined Mr Mwila.
The petitioners, who include leader of the Christian Democratic Party Daniel Pule, Zambia Republican Party leader Wright Musoma, New Congress Party’s Pastor Peter Chanda and Robert Mwanza of Citizens Democratic Party.
The four asked for the determination of the tenure of office and eligibility of President Lungu to stand as presidential candidate in the 2021 general elections pursuant to Article 106 (1) (3), (6) of the Constitution of Zambia (amendment) number 2 of 2016.
The opposition leaders will argue that there had arisen a political debate on the tenure of office and eligibility of President Lungu to stand in 2021 because the general election held on January 20, 2014 did not constitute a full term of office.
They will also submit that the 2016 election was held following the death of Michael Sata who had been president for three years but that President Lungu only served for one year six months after winning the January 2015 election.
