High Court set dates for judgment in Siamunene and Njeulu election petitions

HIGH Court judge Mathews Zulu has set November 11, 2016 as the date
for judgment in a case in which losing Patriotic Front (PF) candidate
Richwell Siamunene petitioned the election of United Party for
National Development (UPND)’s Gift Sialubalo as Sinazongwe Member of
Parliament  (MP).

Mr Justice Zulu said both the Petitioner and the Respondent were
expected to make submission before the Court next week.

The matter came to a close after both the Petitioner and Respondent
called witnesses to testify before the High Court sitting in
Livingstone.

Mr Siamunene, 44, told the High Court that the election of
Sialubalo during the August 11, 2016 General Elections could not be
deemed to be free and fair because of alleged widespread  violence,
intimidation, bribery, and other electoral malpractices instigated by
UPND supporters.

He is being represented by Bonaventure Mutale of Ellis and Company as
well as Friday Besa of Besa Legal Practitioners while Mr Sialubalo is
being represented by Cheelo Mwiinga of MAK Partners.

Mr Sialubalo has on the other hand asked the High Court to dismiss Mr
Siamunene’s petition stating that the allegations in his petition did
not justify or show proof of violence, malpractice and corruption
during the campaigns in Sinazongwe.

In another development, High Court Judge Mutale Bowa has set November
23, 2016 as the date for judgement in a matter in which losing PF
Shangombo parliamentary candidate Poniso Njeulu has petitioned the
election UPND’s Mubika Mubika as the dully elected Shangombo MP.

Mr Njeulu 50, a farmer and former Western Province Minister has
petitioned the election of Mubika the respondent on grounds that the
election results of Shangombo did not reflect the will of the people.

But Mr Mubika dismissed allegations of corruption as well as violence
and other electoral malpractices attributed to his party during the
August 11, 2016 General Elections.

He described the allegations contained in the election petition as
mere stories which have been made up by the petitioner.