Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha has asked the Constitutional Court to dismiss, with costs, a petition challenging the eligibility of President Hakainde Hichilema to contest the 2026 General Election.
In submissions filed before the Constitutional Court, Kabesha argued that President Hichilema fully satisfies the requirements set out under Article 100 of the amended 2016 Constitution regarding presidential nominations.
He further contended that the President’s nomination for the 2026 election is consistent with Article 52(4) of the amended Constitution and does not violate any constitutional provisions governing presidential candidature.
Kabesha also submitted that internal disputes within the ruling United Party for National Development concerning the legitimacy of its convention cannot invalidate President Hichilema’s candidature.
According to the Attorney General, Article 60(1) of the Constitution allows political parties to sponsor candidates for presidential elections, whether those candidates are members of the party or not. He argued that any disagreements within the UPND regarding party processes do not affect the constitutional validity of the President’s nomination.
The petition was filed by UPND senior member Charles Longwe, who is challenging President Hichilema’s eligibility to contest in the upcoming general election.
Meanwhile, UPND Secretary General Batuke Imenda has also urged the court to dismiss the petition, arguing that the issues raised concern the interpretation of the UPND constitution rather than the Constitution of Zambia.
Imenda maintained that questions regarding the mandate of the current UPND leadership should be resolved through the party’s internal constitutional framework and do not fall under Articles 52 and 60 of the national Constitution.
The Constitutional Court is expected to hear the matter as part of ongoing legal challenges related to the 2026 General Election.
Well it”s certainly expected from you
To hell with right and wrong
The attorney General is firing on Longwe. ECZ is shooting at Longwe. Who is defending Longwe? Niye justice?
Longwe sued the ECZ. The ECZ as a government entity is defended by the Attorney General. Mr Longwe should have sued UPND when it accepted HH as its candidate unopposed. He could also have opposed HH at the convention. This case will be dismissed because Longwe is being mischievious.
The question is: Does the attorney General represent the ruling party or the government? Since we became the third republic we have been confused by the roles of certain civil service offices during the UNIP govt and in the new dispensation.
Thus you find the ministry of information still wanting to behave like in the one party state: directing the affairs of newsmedia supervising ZNBC. This should not happen!! We did away with one party participatory democracy! Politicians are the ones who need political education.
@One Zambia- But jornalists should be fighting for their rights right now by asking political parties what their manifesto says about control of public media by the ruling party. journalists have the tools to liberate themselves but they think an angel will drop and give them freedom of speech. You are part of the socio-political fibre so get involved.
Ask Mundubile how he plans to free ZNBC and highlight his answer. Ask Mweetwa if he knows that Democracies dont have Ministries of information and broadcasting so what is his role in this portfolio? In short drive the debate on freedom of speech.
@Get involved: That is but a tall ask for Zambian media.They don’t know how to get together and fight for a common cause. They are scared sh#t of the government, their own government. They think of their next meal.
Just imagine if a soldier refused to go to war because he needed to buy food for his family.
Zambian journalists are in the wrong profession. They don’t know they have a public duty. At least The Post used to fight mwati niba DeadNBC!