By GIDEON NYENDWA
Calls to nullify the Kabwata by-election by a consortium of opposition parties are misplaced because the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has no right to nullify elections, UPND spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa has said.
Mr Mweetwa, who is also Southern Province minister said that the consortium were just political spoilers because they have locus standai in that matter.
He said that ECZ had no right to nullify an election, the aggrieved parties could go to court and petition the election then the courts would determine if their calls were valid.
“ECZ has no power to nullify seats,” Mr Mweetwa said.
Yesterday, the consortium of political parties demanded the nullification of the Kabwata by-election citing various illegalities that characterised the polling day.
But Mr Mweetwa said that in as much as all political parties have a right to air their views on political matters in a democracy because they have a stake but they had no right to take that issue to court because they never participated in that election.
Mr Mweetwa said that it would have been better if the leaders in the consortium had fielded a candidate and they were complaining that their candidate lost.
The Kabwata by-election was held on February 4 in which UPND candidate Andrew Tayengwa emerged victorious after beating his closest contender Clement Tembo of the Patriotic Front (PF).
