Wed, 02 Nov 2016 09:20:04 +0000
THE ruling Patriotic Front (PF) and United Party for National Development in Sioma Constituency of Western Province have ganged up to petition the election of an independent candidate Mbololwa Subulwa in the August 11, 2016 general elections.
The losing candidates for PF Mutomena Mubiana and UPND’s Kaliye Mandandi have asked the High Court to nullify the election of Ms Mbololwa Subulwa as the dully elected Member of Parliament for Sioma on account of electoral malpractice and hate speech.
The duo have contented in their petitions that Ms. Subulwa used hate speech by composing a song which she used in her campaigns to defame the first petitioner and second petitioner which resulted in them losing the election.
They have also asked the court to declare her election null and void and further bar her from participating in any election in an event the seat is nullified.
Testifying before High Court Judge Eddie Sikazwe on Monday, Mr. John Imonga, the UPND vice district secretary for Sioma told the court that the independent candidate on July 17, 2016 at Mulele basic school in Sioma did distribute sugar and salt to over 400 residents who turned up for her meeting.
Mr. Imonga further told the court that on the polling day, PF and UPND polling agents were not allowed to enter some polling stations and that only agents for the independent were allowed.
Another witness Inonge Mabuku told the court that Ms Mbololwa Subulwa was circulating a picture to electorate of a man who she alleged was murdered by the UPND candidate Kaliye Mandandi through ritual killing commonly known as ‘Kuunu’.
She also told the court that Ms Subulwa composed a song which was being played everywhere she held a meeting which depicted the PF candidate Mubiana Mutomena as a thief who had stolen relief maize and exchanged with cattle.
But during cross examination, Ms Subulwa’s lawyer Philemon Songolo of Songolo and Partners asked Mr. Imonga to tell the court the reasons why he was not allowed to enter Mulele polling station.
In response Mr. Imonga said that the officers who were manning the polling station ordered him to leave because he was not accredited.
“On 11 August 2016 when I arrived at Mulele polling station around 07:00 hours, all agents of candidates were called and were asked to produce letters that showed that we were allowed to enter the polling station, but myself and others were told that we could not go inside because our letters were not signed by the district electoral officer. That is how we were chased away leaving the independent candidate’s polling agents,” he said.
