Saturday, April 20, 2024

Constitutional Court to hear an application to join UPND petition

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The Constitutional Court is tomorrow Monday expected to hear an application in which Governance Activist and voter in Constituency Isaac Mwanza has applied to join the case in which the UPND are seeking means in which the courts and tribunals should easily nullify parliamentary and local government elections.

UPND Media Committee Member Joseph Busenga has asked the Court to nullify Section 97(2)(a) of the Electoral Process Act which makes it difficult for the Tribunal and courts to nullify elections on unproven allegations against winners.

In an urgent application before the Court, Mr Mwanza said he has an equal constitutional duty as the UPND petitioner to defend the Constitution of Zambia.

Mr Joseph Busenga told the Court that the outcome of the petition has a bearing on the ongoing petitions brought before the High Court. Mr Mwanza who voted in the last election said he would be affected by the outcome of the case as the election in his Constituency was also petitioned by the UPND.

The UPND, which petitioned all parliamentary seats won by the PF and Independents and over 400 local government seats have suffered defeats in many of these petitions as the petitioners failed to satisfy the provisions of Article 97(2)(a).

If the petition before the Constitutional Court is successful, the UPND will seek the nullification of seats during the appeal processes which take years to conclude.

The UPND currently cannot pass Bills and motions which require two third majority of MPs to vote such as Constitutional Bill and removal of immunity of former Presidents.

12 COMMENTS

  1. Haha they have failed to run the country and are now diverting attention to elections that are in the past. You have majority in govt what will it benefit you to forcefully obtain more seats? Get to work and give Zambians what you promised them

    22
    12
  2. We need all the PF seats petitioned. There was a lot of irregular issues that PF was involved in. Its not even matter of costly elections but the issue of cleansing our social norms. We need those going into governance to avoid engagement of illegal or irregular practices at the expense of regular Zambians in their respective constituencies.

    3
    17
  3. Running a coutry is very different from running business.
    The upnd and hh should not have that leeway to run the country absolutely because absolute numbers in parley might corrupt them absolutely.
    Achieving two thirds majority in parliament can be a thorn in the a$$ for a dumb vindictive Government.

    10
    2
  4. CITIZENS ON THIS ONE I CANNOT SUPPORT UPND AND HH, AS THIS IS WORSE THE BILL 10
    THAT WE TOGETHER FOUGHT AGAINST , LET THE UPND JUST COME UP WITH
    LAWS THAT HAS CENSUS , NOT CHANGING LAWS WRONGLY AT ALL. I VOTE FOR UPND FOR CLEAN
    WINS ONLY

    CONCERNED CITIZEN AND PATRIOT

    10
    2
  5. This is good. UPND now knows they are in control of law and will do anything to get what they want, even without a hearing. Let the matter be decided on merit. More people and parties should be joined

    7
    2
  6. The Supporters of UPND have stopped thinking it seems as if they are possessed by demons.
    What I am hearing these days is very worrying for the nation of Zambia.
    These people cannot reason with their heads.
    They are completely corrupt.

    8
    3
  7. We want Justice in our Electoral System. The Presidential Petition is concluded in 14 days by Concourt. The Parliamentary Petition on Appeal should be disposed of within a prescribed period by Concourt. Parliamentary Petitions shouldn’t take the whole 5 year Term to resolve.

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