KABWATA POLL WILL PROCEED
…despite withdrawal of UPP candidate
BY GIDEON NYENDWA
THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has said that the withdrawal from the Kabwata by-election by United Progressive Party candidate (UPP) Mr Francis Libanda will not affect the day for the election and no fresh nomination will be called.
ECZ public relations officer Raphael Phiri said that after the nominations had closed any withdrawals by the candidate would not be recognized by the commission.
Mr. Libanda yesterday withdrew from the race for the Kabwata seat in which he said that the decision was arrived at after wide consultation from family and close associates.
And Mr Phiri said that the returning officer was clear when addressing the candidates at Nakatindi hall on the day of nomination that if anyone wanted to withdraw from the election they were supposed to do it on that particular day before the nomination closes.
“That is the principle,” he said.
He said they were not aware of the withdrawal by the said candidate but regardless of whether he had withdrawn or not he was still going to appear on the ballot because all withdrawal applications after the nomination date were considered invalid.
Meanwhile Mr Libanda whose video had gone viral on social media when he was being interviewed by a reporter said that he was not going to take part in the by-election after submitting his withdrawal letter to the ECZ.
In the same video he apologized to the party president Dr. Saviour Chishimba and thanked him for the adoption to stand on that ticket.
The Kabwata by-election is slate to be on 20 January, 2022 this came after the tragic death of the UPND Kabwata member of parliament Mr Levy Mukandawire in November last year.
