By OLIVER SAMBOKO
NOW that the Constitutional Court has ruled that President Edgar Lungu’s eligible to contest the August 12 elections, we hope the petitioners will respect the outcome and move on, PF Media Director Antonio Mwanza has said.
The ConCourt yesterday settled the case in which Dr Sishuwa Sishuwa and Chapter One Foundation challenged the constitutionality of the nomination of President Lungu as a candidate for election to the office of President in the August 12, general election.
Meanwhile, Mr Mwanza said the people of Zambia had been looking forward to the conclusion of the petition and hope the matter will now be put to rest as they wait to cast their vote on the PF and President Lungu.
Mr Mwanza said the issue with President Lungu’s eligibility to stand in this year’s general election should be finally put to rest as it was causing unnecessary tension in the country. The ConCourt has in the past dismissed a similar petition on President Lungu’s eligibility brought by former UPND Katuba Member of Parliament Bampi Kapalasa and UPND Member Joseph Busenga on the grounds that the matter was already decided in the Danny Pule case in 2018.
President Lungu had already asked the ConCourt to dismiss with costs the petition challenging his nomination to contest the August 12 elections.
In his answer to the petitioners, President Lungu contended that the petition was incompetently before court because his nomination as a presidential candidate is valid as declared by the returning officer, Judge Essau Chuulu.
His lawyers also argued that he has not held office twice contrary to what the petitioners are saying because the court in the Danny Pule case already made an interpretation on what constitutes a term of office.
