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Gordon Igesund
Gordon Igesund is still waiting to hear back from the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) over the vacant head coach role with the senior national team.
Igesund was interviewed for the post earlier this month and reports out of Zambia suggested he was the leading candidate‚ with some quoting unnamed FAZ sources as saying the job would be offered to the former Bafana Bafana coach.
But there has yet to be any indication of the same to Igesund‚ nor any contract negotiations opened by FAZ.
“As we stand there is no offer on the table‚” Igesund’s agent Mike Makaab said.
“He was interviewed by them [FAZ] and the only feedback we have had to date is that they are considering him.
“But I am hopeful that we will know something more concrete either way by the start of next week.”
Should Igesund get the job it would mean he takes up a post he was first touted for 15 years ago when he was sounded out over a caretaker role with Zambia in 2001.
Other coaches short-listed for the post include former Ghana tactician Goran Stevanovic‚ Frenchman Sebastein Desabre and Swiss national Raoul Savoy.
Igesund has been out of a job since he was axed by SuperSport United in January.
He is one of the most successful coaches in South Africa after winning four league titles with four different sides‚ including unfashionable Manning Rangers and Santos.
He also lifted the league trophy with Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns.
The former winger finished runner-up in the league as well with Ajax Cape Town and Moroka Swallows‚ after which he was appointed Bafana coach in 2012 after several near-misses in the past.
He failed to qualify the side for the 2014 Fifa World Cup and also exited from the 2013 African Nations Cup finals at the quarterfinal stage on home soil.
His finest moment with the national team came in a 1-0 friendly win over then world champions Spain.
OC announced that he will be collaborating with Nigerian artiste Iyanya
He said the following on social media:
Yes it’s finally coming to your ear drums with a bang!!!
Allow me to officially unveil the massive Zambia /Nigeria collaboration, it’s OC Osilliation Umusana Wandalama featuring the Kukere master!! Iyanya Mbuk .. This African banger is called “Tie your Wrappa” .. The song is set for release and premieres across the globe on my birthday which is the 25th of August 2016!!!.the song will be available on iTunes and other leading Music blog and websites.
UNWTO general secretary Taleb Rifai addresseses international journalists covering the general assembly during the first media briefing at Elephant Hills HotelCONSTRUCTION of a United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) legacy project in Livingstone is expected to start next month, Ministry of Tourism and Arts regional tourism development coordinator for South-West region, Harold Mweene, has said.
Following the successful hosting of the 20th session of the UNWTO General Assembly in Livingstone in August 2013, the UNWTO Secretariat has set aside US$ 47,500 to construct a legacy project known as Livingstone Community Sustainable Tourism Resource Centre to honour the local people for their hospitality.
The Government has already already acquired land in Livingstone’s Dambwa North Township to construct the project.
Mr Mweene said in an interview that works to construct the project were expected to start next month once the various technicalities were finalised this month.
“We are waiting for the architectural designs and the Bill of Quantity (BOQ) to be finalised.
“Once the BOQ and architectural designs are done, we will have a tender meeting while construction is expected to start at the start of next month,” Mr Mweene said.
He said the local people in Dambwa North had started clearing the place in readiness for construction works to start.
In May this year, the UNWTO Secretariat gave Zambia US$ 47,500 to construct a legacy project in honor of the people of Livingstone for their hospitality during the 2013 UNWTO General Assembly.
Fund were donated by the Government of the Republic of South Korea through the UNWTO Sustainable Tourism for Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP) Foundation.
The primary goal of this project is to empower the Livingstone local community with the necessary tourism knowledge and skills that will in turn enable them to generate their income through various training and expertise activities that they will be carried out at the Resource Centre.
Some of the objectives of the Centre are to provide the community with a self-sustaining facility that will contribute to improving the livelihood of the Livingstone local community and to provide skills acquisition and income generation at the Resource Centre and household levels
It will also contribute to tourism product diversification in Livingstone as well as to contribute to the sustainable management of the World Heritage Site (Victoria Falls) and to add on to product and service offering in Livingstone.
The Centre, which is expected to be constructed by December this year, will also build a legacy of Tourism and hospitality in the tourist capital.
In terms of expected impact of the project, the Centre will provide knowledge as well as skills and showcase talent and skills in areas of tour guiding, handcraft making, curios making, traditional Zambian food cooking, art and designs as well as environmental conservation awareness and other skills which are necessary for developing and marketing the tourism industry in Livingstone.
It would also provide training to the youths, men and women in the community especially the vulnerable.
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Arts, the idea is to provide skills and showcase the skills and in turn generate income for the community.
The Centre will also provide a chance for both domestic and international tourists to visit and participate.
Other UNWTO ST-EP projects in Zambia are Mwandi Cultural Centre in Western Province and Mafungausi Cultural Village found in Lower Zambia in Cheftainess Chiawa area.
THE security outlook in Southern Province has remained unpredictable following the recent re-election of President Edgar Lungu on Monday this week.
More than 150 United Party for National Development (UPND) supporters in Southern Province have been arrested for riotous behaviour related post elections which occurred on August 15, 2016.
Southern Province Commissioner of Police Godwin Phiri said the general outlook had remained unpredictable with sporadic outbreaks of tyre burning.
Mr Phiri urged residents in the Province to ensure that they take precaution and personal safety at all times.
In a press statement released yesterday, Mr Phiri said there were cases of continued tyre burning during the night particularly in Monze.
“Although the situation appears to return to normal during the day, precaution and personal safety is advised at all times as general outlook remains unpredictable with sporadic outbreaks of tyre burning,” Mr Phiri said.
He also said 22 suspected UPND cadres incarcerated for riotous behaviour appeared in the Magistrate Court in Namwala for plea on Wednesday.
“The cadres all denied the charge and the matter has been adjourned to August 24, 2016 and August 26, 2016 respectively for commencement of trial.
“Bail has been denied and all suspects have been remanded to prison,” Mr Phiri said.
He also said 33 suspects have been apprehended in Maala area of Namwala and they were all being screened.
“Chitongo and Kabulamwanda along the Choma to Namwala road are still unstable and suspected UPND cadres have continued to block the main highway,” Mr Phiri said.
We would like to commend the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) for the job well done. ECZ prepared for the 11th August general election and the referendum very well.
Most of all, we are happy that ECZ were very transparent every step of the way and the involved all stakeholders.
ECZ were also very patient and tolerant to all the views and concerns expressed by all stakeholders especially political parties.
During the day of elections, ECZ conducted the elections very efficiently such that most polling stations opened and closed at the right time after serving the electorates that turned up to vote.
The management of results was also very transparent because all political parties were allowed to verify the figures before they were finally announced.
We would also like to commend the police for securely the Country as a whole and all the electoral process, such that citizens voted peacefully.
As Zambian Voice we participated in the preparation of elections and monitored the voting and the announcement of results.
We are glad to state that the elections were transparent, free and fair according to our constitution and the international standards for holding a credible and democratic election.
We therefore commend all Zambians and all those who participated in this election.
CONCERNS
While we affirm that the last elections were transparent, free and fair, we recognize that, there were a few incidences that did not go according to the expectations of the ECZ and other stakeholders, however, we believe that those incidences could not change the outcome of this election.
It is normal to have a few hiccups in a huge process such as the just ended elections because it involves a lot of activities and individuals with different character and motives.
Therefore, it is unreasonable for anyone to over emphasize the few negatives of the last election and discredit the all process.
What is of more concern is that, there have been people who have been antagonist and discrediting the process right from the beginning.
Some stakeholders have been speculative of almost everything relating to the elections.
During the registration of voters, some stakeholders alarmed the nation that ECZ had registered 500, 000 voters with a view to rig the 2016 elections. This speculation ended up with some members of a named political party being in court charged with criminal offenses relating to the same rumors.
The printing of ballot papers was also a subject of speculation and suspicion. However, all the stakeholders who witnessed the printing of ballot papers in Dubai proved that, there was nothing sinister in the awarding of the tender and the printing of ballot papers.
ECZ was put under pressure during the distribution of electoral material throughout the Country as the same stakeholders intercepted trucks carrying ECZ material.
During voting, eminent lawyers rose on point of order alleging that some people were voting more than once (6 times) but no one was proven to have had voted 6 times.
The issue of verifying of results was also a tedious task for the ECZ because some political parties did not have representatives in some polling stations and yet they were querying the results transmitted.
In other instances, some political representatives were dodging the signing of the GEN12 (primary source document of the ECZ to enter results) if their candidate did not do well.
Some political representatives were also communicating different results, other than what they had signed for, to their superiors at Mulungushi were the final verification was being done before the announcement.
These incidences caused the delay in announcing of results and the discrediting of the process by some political parties.
PETITIONING OF RESULTS
It is within the rights of any stakeholder to petition the results following the legal processes. However, we are concern with the provocative and inciting statements coming from the opposition, especially the United Party for National Development (UPND).
We have noticed with dismay the some statements coming from the UPND leadership.
While President Lungu has been preaching peace and unity, the UPND leadership is issuing provocative and inciting statements, stating that the Patriotic Front (PF) have stolen their vote and urging their members not to accept the results but rather take President Hakainde Hichilema and his running mate as the winners of the just ended 2016 elections.
This is very unfortunate and we would like to urge the UPND to refrain from issuing such statement but rather take their petition to the Constitutional court in dignity without being their own judges.
We also wish to urge the Constitutional Judges to exercise the ultimate wisdom as they consider the evidence and the situation in the Country so that they can pass a ruling that will reflect the will of the majority as expressed in the last election as soon as they analyse all facts when should the petition be launched.
It is unfair to the majority Zambians that, a few people would hold the Country at ransom that, unless they get the power then that is when there will be peace and unity.
Democracy should not only be accepted when things favors the individual interests and ambitions but the majority.
The Zambia Meteorological Department says the current weather pattern being experienced in most part of the country is not the start of the rainy season but a transitioning period.
Zambia Meteorological Department Deputy Director Joseph Kanyanga has since urged all stakeholders especially farmers not to panic but start preparations for the next farming season.
ZANIS reports that Dr. Kanyanga also cautioned farmers to wait for the 2016 /2017 Seasonal Rainfall Forecast to help them make informed decisions before embarking on any farming activity.
He further called on farmers to ensure that their produce is well covered as there may likely be some sporadic occurrences of light showers and intrusion of moisture which may damage their crops.
The Zambia Meteorological Department was responding to the current signs of the start of rains in most parts of the country.
And Dr. Kanyanga has disclosed that the 2016/2017 Seasonal Rainfall Forecast for the country is expected to be released next month.
He said the release of the annual seasonal rainfall forecast will be preceded by the Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF) which kicked off in Harare, Zimbabwe on August 15 and will end on August 26, 2016.
Dr. Kanyanga said the SARCOF forum will enable all participating stakeholders from the region to downscale the actual computation of the regional weather outlook into national seasonal rainfall outlook.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kanyanga stated that the climate variability and climate change effects has in the recent years resulted into the shift of the traditional norm of the start of the rain season.
Dr. Kanyanga has since appealed to all stakeholders in the country’s economy to ensure that they regularly consult with the meteorological department before embarking on any major activity so as to enhance their productivity.
The opposition UPND has revealed that it will only file in the presidential election challenging President Edgar Lungu’s victory to Monday next week.
The UPND legal team initially intended to file in the petition a day after President Lungu was declared but later moved it to Thursday before pushing it to tomorrow, Friday.
But UPND legal Adviser Jackie Mwiimbu confirmed in an interview that the party has instead decided to move the filing in to Monday next week.
Mr Mwiimbu said the move was necessitated by the overwhelming amount of evidence of alleged election malpractices that the party has continued to receive.
He said a lot of individuals and organisations have been coming forward to bring evidence to the legal team to further strengthen their case.
Mr Mwiimbu said the UPND is confident that President Lungu’s victory will be over turned based on the evidence to be presented before the constitutional court.
Meanwhile, Veteran retired politician Vernon Mwaanga has said that it is wishful thinking for anyone to say that this year’s general election was free and fair when opposition political parties were denied coverage by the State media.
Mr. Mwaanga said that of all the Elections that he has witnessed, this year’s elections were the worst one owing to the number of challenges the Electoral Commission of Zambia faced.
He has cited the issues of the G12 form, the application of the Public Order Act during campaigns and several irregularities as some of the things that stop the elections from being free and fair.
Mr. Mwaanga stated that it would be an extravagant exaggeration for him to describe the recent elections as free and fair.
Zesco United returned to league action for the first time in over a month on Thursday when they dismantled Power Dynamos 4-0 at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
The defending champions win saw them complete a Copperbelt derby double over Power in the FAZ Super Division this season after beating them 2-1 away in Kitwe on April 2.
Zesco’s last league game prior to the home win over Power was on July 12 in a 1-1 home draw with Mufulira Wanderers.
Meanwhile, striker Jackson Mwanza and midfielder Cletus Chama recorded a brace each in this home game to hand Zesco the three points today in Ndola.
Mwanza put Zesco ahead in the 6th minute before Chama haunted his former club with the second goal in the 45th minute.
Mwanza completed his brace in the 76th minute but Chama refused to be left behind with his own in the 84th minute.
Zesco stay 5th despite the win after rising to 36 points from seventeen games with five matches to spare.
They trail Green Buffaloes and Power who are on 39 and 40 points in 4th and 3rd place respectively.
Nkana are 2nd on 44 points while Zanaco lead on 52 points.
The opposition UPND has moved the filing in of the presidential petition challenging the election of President Edgar Lungu to this Friday and not today as earlier announced.
Former Chongwe Member of Parliament Sylvia Masebo announced that the legal team will file in tomorrow.
Ms. Masebo has also urged party members to come in numbers to the Supreme Court as their legal Team will be filing in a court petition at the Constitutional Court.
She said the party is ready to challenge the outcome of the election and believes that the election was stolen.
Ms. Masebo said the party has overwhelming evidence which they will present before the Constitutional Court.
She said is sad that Zambia is still failing to organise a credible free and fair election 52 years after Independence.
Yesterday, UPND vice president for administration Geoffrey Mwamba said that his party has sufficient evidence to petition the outcome of the elections.
Mr. Mwamba said that the evidence is enough to secure a judgment most Zambians are waiting for as it is actually being supplied by the people who allegedly helped the ruling PF to steal its votes.
He has disclosed at media briefing held last evening that part of this evidence will include the incarceration of some of its members on alleged tramped up non-bailable charges.
Mr. Mwamba said that party members should remain prayerful and calm as the Constitutional Court hears the petition. He said that that was not necessary for anyone to panic as he believes God is on side of the UPND.
Speaking at the same briefing MMD president Nevers Mumba wondered why there was so much security at Mulungushi International Conference Center were elections results were being announced.
Dr. Mumba recalled that it has never happened in Zambia’s history that the returning officer of a presidential election can be protected by armed police officers at the time of announcing the results.
He said that his suspicion is that what happened on Monday this week when President Lungu was being declared winner of the election is a sign of how scared the ruling PF is of what it has allegedly done.
Meanwhile, UPND President Hakainde Hichilema has appealed to his PARTY supporters to be peaceful and loving to each other as God loved everyone.
In his facebook posting, Mr Hichilema said that the party is fully committed to exhaust all channels to ensure that justice is achieved on claiming what belongs to the people of Zambia.
He said that the party leadership hopes to go back to the people to thank them for the massive votes and support they gave to the UPND during the just ended elections.
Mr Hichilema hopes there will be no restrictions on their movements during this undertaking like was the case during the campaign.
Rae Hamoonga
Some suspects in the riots that rocked some parts of Southern Province have started appearing in court.
According to a statement from Police Spokesman Rae Hamoonga, 22 suspected UPND cadres that were detained for riotous behaviour appeared in the magistrate court in Namwala for plea yesterday.
They all denied the charge and the matter has been adjourned to 24th August,2016 and 26th August,2016 respectively for commencement of trial.
Bail has been denied and all suspects have been remanded in prison.
Police has meanwhile apprehended 33 suspects in Maala area of Namwala and are being screened.
In Mazabuka, four dockets have been completed and a total member of 15 suspects appeared in court yesterday for plea.
About 136 people comprising 124 male and 12 female suspects were apprehended, charged and arrested for riotous behaviour, malicious damage to property and Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily
Mr Hamoonga said the number of suspects may be more than 136 taking into account the fact that number of offences as some suspects are facing more than one offence.
In Monze, 50 suspects which comprised of 48 males and 02 females were apprehended, charged and arrested for riotous behaviour and are appearing today whilst the 26 are being processed.
In Choma, 53 suspects were apprehended and after a screening exercise six were positively identified to have been involved in several cases of arson that took place on 15th August,2016 between 1600 and 1730 Hrs at various places within Choma.
47 suspects were likely charged with conduct likely to cause breach of peace.
President Edgar Lungu has met business leaders at a special breakfast meeting at which he hinted at broad policy measures to accelerate economic growth and control spending during his next five tenure.
Addressing more than 70 captains of commerce and industry at Lusaka’s Chrismar Hotel today, President Lungu said he aims at creating a more stable and predictable open market environment with increased consultation between Government and the business
community.
“I have five years now which is sufficient time to take more decisive action. I will take measures to grow the economy and control expenditure. Some measures will be painful but they will yield results and by 2021, and people will reward us for having taken such action,” the President said to a cheering audience during a closed session.
“We have been constrained to take certain measures due to political considerations. But I am glad that one of the major benefits from the current constitutional order is that it assures stability in policy formulation and implementation because there is no fear of disruption in the Presidency, at least for a period of five years under the running-mate arrangement,” he said.
“Tough decisions will be made. Some will be painful but necessary. Business confidence has oftentimes suffered because of the frequent changes in the Presidency in the last seven years.”
The President said all the ministers he will appoint must be business and public-friendly because dialogue will be the hallmark of his Presidency.
He said all components of the IMF Programme will be mutually agreed saying Government and the IMF have made great progress and reached broad consensus on the key areas of the programme.
The Head of State hinted at a rapid but progressive migration to a cost-reflective tariff structure in the electricity and fuel sectors and the restructuring of the agriculture support programme under which government provides subsidies for seed and fertilizer.
President Lungu also announced plans to restructure the Food Reserve Agency into strictly an entity for purchasing strategic food reserves, a move that would reduce on FRA’s demands on the Treasury.
He said the FRA has done tremendously well in reducing crop waste and now we want them to reduce on its resource demands on the Treasury.
“Zambia is a promising economy in Africa and has attracted significant regional and international investment over the last decade. However, the past decade has also shown at various times how vulnerable the Zambian economy is to the global economic growth trends and has found itself amidst a global decline in commodity prices, emerging market interest and exchange rate price volatility and ever increasing electricity utility shortages due to slow infrastructure investment, thus not being able to keep up with demand from a growing economy. As a Government, we are here to listen to you and ensure that our local businesses are protected from the absolute advantages international companies have.”
Co-moderators of the business breakfast, entrepreneurs Guy Phiri and Mark O’Donnell delivered a message of congratulation on behalf of the business forum, which has organised itself as an independent think-tank to advise government on the interests of industry.
The business leaders told their stories of hope they have seen in the resilience of the economy under the difficult period of electioneering and general slowdown in the global economy.
“There was not much panic among investors during this period but instead we saw remarkable transactions by major corporations buying assets on the Zambian market,” said Mr. Caesar Siwale, the CEO of Pangaea Securities Limited, a leading investment advisor.
Poorly conceived use of legal systems sometimes plunges countries into turmoil. In Zambia, let us not experiment with the law and politics. The electoral majority legally voted for Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
Remember the George W. Bush elections in Georgia and ballot boxes in church yards. There was no Acting President. It’s 50%+1.
Lungu should be sworn-in and the courts should do their part, albeit, performing the role of peace makers.
Let us not pay a blind eye to the judicial activism that is creeping through the window into political rule. It is a dangerous trait.
In life, people throw stones at a mango tree that bears good fruit! Chagwa is that tree right now. Let us defend our democracy. The future is on that Tree despite the maneuvers of some people who want to bring our future down with their middle aged battle zone tactics.
The silent majority that voted lawfully for Chagwa cannot have their vote trashed through our deficit of political will to defend their collective and decisive act of voting for Lungu with more than 50+1.
To ignore the will of the electoral majority would be a traversity of democracy.
Yes, the law must and should be respected, however, it is equally true that what the law cannot properly handle remains a preserve of the people.
As such, the political constitution of government is the sovereign act of the people. Hence any judicial review of procedural questions of mistakes of a process cannot and must not invalidate the substantive will at stake; the lawful election of Edgar as President until August 2021 .
As Observers have rightly noted, it can only help in improving future processes. This is not a matter of law as such but of policy consideration. The effect by the court not to heed this humble opinion especially against the background of mindsets like the Dundumwezi factor may lead to unintentional chaotic outcomes and widespread emotional damage.
Edith Nawakwi could as well be right. What needs to be looked into is by what means was the Dundumwezi outcome made possible? Was it by sheer appeal of the UPND manifesto to voters in the affected regions?
I suggest that those involved in handling “concerns” do so in a responsible, creative, anticipatory and visionary manner that would resolve the outcome into a state respectful of the will of the majority.
If all regions had done a “Dundumwezi” would the outcome be any different? Edith Nawakwi could as well be right. What needs to be looked into is by what means was the Dundumwezi outcome made possible? Was it by sheer appeal of the UPND manifesto to voters in the affected regions?
I have no evidence to answer this vexying question but any reasonable man on the street might be excused to suspect something less than politically right was being used materially or symbolically; that is, in words including perhaps, a hate campaign.
We have a dangerous situation at hand. We are in fact in murky waters that we have never before been in. Let no one ignite the wrong match stick!
At a time like this, our Clergy must come together and set up dialogue symposium. They are an important factor in reading our national sensibilities than may be possible with a newly constituted judicial organ; respectable as the learned court might be.
Our legal fraternity know that decisions of court that break new ground come from Judicial authorities who read into both the law and policy.
It takes courage and wisdom and not merely intellect, to depart from established legal positions.
Our courts are just beginning to handle us in a new constitutional order. I urge that if they have to err, rather it be in the interest of peace than poisonous technicality.
Let there be peace and let the substantive will of the masses prevail.
I pray for civility and peace on the motherland.
Katele Kalumba, Dr. Chienge District Luapula Province.
Patriotic Front (PF) Chikankata Parliamentary aspirant Kavwumbu Hakachima attributes her loss to a lie disseminated by the United Party for National Development (UPND) to the electorate a day before polls that she had been arrested with possession of pre-marked ballot papers, reports Pan African Radio Journalist Hermit Hachilonde.
In a statement, Ms. Hakachima said a day before elections she was in Mazabuka till 18:30 hours and received a UPND fake message to all wards that the PF candidate was in police custody after being found with pre-marked ballot papers.
Ms. Hakachima, formerly Chikankata District Commissioner said many of her supporters did not vote because they were in a panic mood, with many demanding to see her physically in police cells.
She noted that the electorates were confused as they were told that she was just released on police bond.
Ms. Hakachima has however stated that there is a reason why it happened like that and such she will not petition the liars, opting to be vindicated by political posterity.
“Let me comment about chikankata friends. Firstly let me say sorry we lost it. A day before elections I went to Mazabuka up to 18.30 hours. Then UPND sent message to all wards that candidate Kavwumbu had been arrested after being found with papers already marked”
“When I came back I found news that I was in custody. We couldn’t get help from chikankata radio to tell people that this was propaganda. At 05hrs my supporters panicked asking why i got arrested and I said am not in custody”
“So people started demanding to see me physically to prove I was not in cells. Then I quickly started going to polling stations to show myself. When I got there, again I found a mob of UPND who chased me from polling stations claiming I was a thief who had stolen votes”
“Thus how we lost on 11th August, 2016. People could not vote for me and I could not manage to go to all polling stations to vindicate myself. Finally allow me to say…friends there is a reason why it happened this way…am still in a shock how I got treated as a criminal by UPND” she said
Meeting for Political Parties organised by the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI)
The Young African Leadership Initiative has argued that President Edgar Lungu should continue to perform the executive functions as republican president until the president-elect is sworn into office as per Constitution of Zambia, as amended even after the opposition files its petition against his re-election.
YALI Governance Advisor Isaac Mwanza said the YALI legal team has carefully studied Article 101 to Article 104 of the Constitution of Zambia, as amended, and their conclusion is that any petition brought at this stage when there has not been any re-run will be brought under Article 101 clause 4 of the Constitution.
Mr. Mwanza explained that under this clause, there is no provision for the incumbent who has been declared President-elect under Article 101 clause 2 to step aside and allow the Speaker of the National Assembly to perform executive functions.
The YALI position is contrary to the position by various stakeholders that the Speaker of the National Assembly will have to take over and perform the executive functions when the election petition is filed against the incumbent, having been duly re-elected and declared President-elect under Article 101 clause 2 of the Constitution of Zambia.
And Mr. Mwanza has urged stakeholders including aggrieved political parties to engage ECZ if they have evidence of wrong tabulation of results in order to correct the situation within the window period of 7 days as provided by Section 76 of the Electoral Process Act number 35 of 2016.
Leonard Chiti
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu was legitimately elected, JCTR Executive Director Father Leonard Chiti has told the BBC’s Focus on Africa.
Fr Chiti told the BBC that according to the election rules President Lungu needed more than 50 per cent to be declared winner.
He said the results were accurate and that the observers and monitors were actually taking pictures as they were posted outside the polling stations which were transmitted via social media so there was no disputing what came through and how people voted around the country.
Fr Chiti said, as an election watchdog, he was very convinced that the verdict was accurate because monitors who were spread across the country had been sending in results as they were being announced at the different polling stations.
However, Fr Chiti described the race for the presidency as tight because the voting pattern divided the country into two as the people of North and East voted for the PF while the people from South and West voted for the opposition UPND.
He said it was therefore incumbent upon the newly elected president needed to immediately reach out to his nearest rival Hakainde Hichilema and offer commiseration which might be a good gesture because it would help the defeated candidates to accept the results and see them as a reflection and as the will of the people .
Fr Chiti further said he was pretty sure that Hichilema would challenge the results by taking the matter to court because he was not happy with the election results and that would not surprise him.
He added that earlier Mr Hichilema had gone to court to stop the counting of the presidential results because he was not happy with the way the counting and transmission of results were done.
